The Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters (WABOTAN) Association, which represents boat operators, has praised President Bola Tinubu for eliminating the fuel subsidy.
In his inaugural address on Monday in Abuja, Tinubu had promised that his administration will stop providing gasoline subsidies.
In response, Babatope Fajemirokun, President of WABOTAN, described the action as a bitter pill required for the nation’s recovery in a conversation with journalists in Lagos.
“Sometimes you have to take a bitter pill to get better; this subsidy elimination has been one of those instances. We regard this government as open and receptive. We want them to mention any palliatives that are required to lessen the impact. For a very long time, some Nigerians have demanded that subsidies be eliminated. Some others have even called it a hoax. We will adapt to it, thus it is a welcome notion. As boat operators, we don’t believe that this would suffocate everyone, he said.
According to Fajemirokun, Tinubu was the only Nigerian president who recognized the value of the maritime industry to the nation’s GDP.
However, he advised the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to take into account giving WABOTAN control of the recently inaugurated jetties spread throughout the state in order to manage them for optimum efficiency.
In a comparable manner, WABOTAN’s public relations officer, Raymond Gold, stated that the organization was demanding the Lagos State Government’s management and control of the recently commissioned jetties as a concession.
Remember that the Ijegun-Egba Jetty, the Ilashe Jetty in Amuwo-Odofin, the Isalu-Ajido Jetty, and the Marina Badagry Jetty were recently given their official commissions by Governor Sanwo-Olu.
We support the Lagos State Government in constructing these jetties, he declared. Safer waters are encouraged if there are strong jetties.
Furthermore, it enhanced the way the area where they are constructed looked and felt.
We at WABOTAN believe we have a significant stake in how these jetties are managed.
