Forward Recommendations On The National Automotive Policy – Senator Olugbenga Ashafa

Forward Recommendations On The National Automotive Policy – Senator Olugbenga Ashafa


Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Chairman Senate Committee on Land Transport

Senator Olugbenga Ashafa, the Senate
Committee Chairman on Land Transport on Tuesday 4thOctober, 2016 at
the 2 day National Workshop for Chief Executives of Mass Transit Organisations
on the Nigeria Automotive Policy, urged the organisers to break away from the
culture of hoarding communiqués generated from such forums.

While delivering his good will
message, the Senator commended the Nigerian Institute for Transport Technology
and the National Automotive and Design Development Council for putting together
the all too important National Workshop.
Speaking further, the Senator
Representing Lagos East stated that “the functionality of our National
Automotive policy side by side our Mass Transit System is very important to our
economy hence; this workshop is timely as it directly affects the pressing
challenge that we face as a country today, which is the challenge of our
economy.”
  

Ashafa identified the important
issues that the Workshop needed to interrogate to include “how to ensure that
the National Automotive Policy remains a viable document on one hand and how to
ensure that the local manufacturing sector remains attractive to the investor
(both local and foreign).”
  
The Senator concluded by calling on
the organisers of the workshop to ensure that any recommendations requiring the
action of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, should be forwarded to the
committee without hesitation. In his own words, “I have observed a critical
missing link in how we make use of our body of knowledge after the brilliant
ventilation of ideas at such a forum as this. We have the habit of keeping the
resolutions to ourselves without forwarding same to relevant arms of government
for execution. Even when we do, we do not follow through to ensure that each
arm takes responsibility of his part of the job. I therefore urge that if at
the end of this workshop, you come up with any recommendations which you
believe the Senate Committee on Land Transport should push in form of a
legislation or a legislative agenda, kindly forward same to us.”





Senate Passes Nigerian Railway Corporation Bill, 2016

Senate Passes Nigerian Railway Corporation Bill, 2016


Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport)  

The Senate on Thursday,
July 21, 2016, passed the Nigerian Railway Corporation Bill 2016 seeking to
replace the 61 year old obsolete Nigerian Railway Corporation Act, 1955. The
Bill sailed through third reading after a very rigorous exercise; and hopes to
revitalize the Railway sector for optimal development and conform to modern
trends and challenges.

The Nigerian Railway
Corporation Repeal and Reenactment Bill 2015, was sponsored by Senator Andy Uba.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Gbenga Ashafa and
other members held interactive sessions with the Ministry of Transport and the
Nigerian Railway Corporation to evaluate the challenges facing the rail sector
including a public hearing. 
A crucial reform which the
bill is presenting is the necessary inclusion of Public Private Partnership
(PPP) Initiatives in the Nigerian Railway Sector. The bill also separates the
regulator from the operators. It is Hoped that introduction of the Bill will
drive the needed economic reform in the industry and provide private investment
opportunities for the sector.