The Federal Government has said that many of the Heads of agencies in the nation’s maritime sector will be sacked if the sector does not meet a target of N500billion revenue set for it by the end of 2016.

 Speaking on Monday at a two days Maritime Summit sponsored by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and Tell Magazine, the Honourable Minster of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi stated that he has already informed all Heads of agencies in the maritime sector to generate N500billion by end of the year or get sacked.

 According to him, “my target to the agencies in the maritime sector is N500billion, but they all think I am joking. You will see changes in the sector if that target is not met by end of the year. The only way there won’t be reform in the maritime sector is if they give me N500billion. If we achieve it, we set for ourselves another target for next year.

 “The only way we can achieve that N500billion is to put in place the proper reform. If they don’t achieve that target, I will ask Mr. President to allow me hire another set of Heads of agencies that will give me what I want.

 “If we cannot achieve it by end of this year, then there will be reform in the sector because we will need to remove all those who are stumbling blocks to our target. The change we want is not the type where money is shared among some few individuals.

 “How many of you here are ready for change? I am saying this because many of you have been attacking us that this is not the change you voted for. What is this change that you people voted for; maybe we did not hear you well.

 “For us, change is institutional. Change is not sharing of money. If what you people want us to do is to continue the sharing of money, then you can as well vote us out. It is the sharing of money that has got us to where we are now; a situation where we are even looking for money to feed the nation.

 “If you think that the corruption in the maritime sector has stopped by the emergence of the new government, the answer is no. If you think corruption in the transportation sector has stopped with the emergence of the new government, the answer is again no.

 “We all need to sit together to agree on the right things to do. The right people must come into the industry to make the industry much more productive. The day’s where, because somebody knows Rotimi Amaechi, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) will give him contract is gone.

 “I have told the Managing Directors under my Ministry that i don’t want to know them, i don’t want to award contracts.

 “Look at Dubai, their economy is run from their transport sector. The kind of change I am looking for is the type that will generate money from the maritime sector for the interest of Nigeria.

 “That is why I will still like to meet with the Executive Secretary of the Shippers Council to convene a stakeholders meeting. In that stakeholders meeting, i want to listen to expert on how we can move the maritime sector forward.”