The removal from the Nigerian Ship-owners Association (NISA) WhatsApp group and subsequent suspension of Captain Kola Raheem, Captain Taiwo Akinpelumi and Captain Sola Olatunji is currently brewing crisis in Nigeria’s premier indigenous group as some members are threatening to dump the association.

The NISA had recently removed the three ship owners from its main WhatsApp group and subsequently placed the trio on suspension for forming a sub-group within the association and placing a congratulatory message to welcome the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, in the name of their sub-group.

Speaking with newsmen, one of the suspended members, Captain Akinpelumi, explained that it is not out of place to have a group within an association or organisation.

He said, “Upon the announcement of the appointment of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, maritime stakeholders began sending congratulatory messages to the appointed minister. Captain Kola Raheem forwarded one of the messages from an online media source to NISA’s WhatsApp platform and he was immediately removed. Then the association removed me and Sola Olatunji for being a member of a sub-group within NISA.

“First and foremost, I consider Captain Raheem’s removal from NISA platform unprovoked, vexatious and unwarranted. It is like killing a fly with a sledgehammer. I see no offence or sin committed by a member innocently forwarding a ‘press release’ credited to the group on the platform.

“It is not out of place to have a group within an association or organisation. One of the elders in NISA once drew my attention to the concept of the ‘iron law of oligarchy,’ which I will advise any NISA member who wishes to reference – make a statement and a member decided to post such a message, which is neither offensive nor inciting, on a general platform to which he legitimately belongs.

“I do not and others will agree with me on this, think it is against any norm for persons to belong to any group within an association and decide to affix a nomenclature to it just to suit their purpose or objectives, since the issues placed under scrutiny are the processes, procedures and methodology adopted in decision-making and actions taken on behalf of the association but not an indictment or attack on the personalities of its members as some people are quick to conclude.

“I will advise that we all accept that the association belongs to all and a situation whereby some people view other people’s opinion as an attack on persons or personalities should be buried. I encourage these few to imbibe the spirit of accommodating differing opinions without taking offence. Every member should be allowed to freely express his or her view no matter how at variance it may be with others’ positions.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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