NIMASA Commits To Resolving Issues Of Maritime Industry Retirees, Others
...Marine and Blue Economy Crucial To FG’s Diversification Drive
By Edu Abade
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), yesterday, pledged the agency’s commitment to resolve issues of entitlements, pensions and gratuities of retired workers who served under the agency.
Speaking on a wide range of issues and challenges in the nation’s maritime domain, Director General of the agency, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, said it was unfortunate that Nigerians who spent a better part of their lives serving the country in various capacities in NIMASA have not be paid their entitlements after several years.
“The issues of retirees will be looked into. Although it is regrettable that some of them are dead, we are collating data to enable us to do whatever we can do to pay those of them who are still alive very quickly,” he said.
Mobereola, who spoke in his maiden interactive session with maritime journalists, also responded to questions bothering on national carrier, Modular Floating Dock, Cabotage Vessels Financing Fund (CVFF), War Risk Insurance Premium (WRIP), bilateral diplomacy, contract awards, systems automation and indebtedness of shipping companies to NIMASA, among others.
Speaking in company of Executive Director of Finance, Chudi Ofodile, Executive Director, Operations Engineer Fatai Taiye Adeyemi and their Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services counterpart, Jibril Abba, the NIMASA DG and Chief Executive Officer pointed out that Nigeria will not establish a National Carrier, but will rather encourage Nigerians to own vessels.
On the CVFF, he disclosed that the fund, warehoused for ship owners’ use was intact with the Federal Government, maintaining that the fund is not just another kind of revenue but a 15 percent contribution towards the development of ship owners and the Nigerian shipping industry.
“We are working on fine tuning and coming out with improved processes and guidelines and we are also exploring other avenues to broaden, as well as leverage the CVFF for greater benefits to the industry and entire country,” he stated.
Mobereola also revealed that a powerful cartel in the international insurance sector has been collecting War Risk Insurance Premiums (WRIP) charged on Nigerian-bound vessels and cargoes.
He noted that NIMASA is seeking the support of international maritime organizations including the United Nations to compel the insurance companies to reduce the premium, adding that in spite of a significant reduction in piracy and sea robbery incidents on Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), the persisting premium has continued to increase the cost of trade for Nigeria.
“One of the points I raised during my visit to Chatham House is how the War Risk Insurance placed on Nigerian-bound vessels and cargoes can be reduced. It is a cartel that is behind the War Risk Insurance Premium.
“They are making so much money from it and will rather keep it as it is rather than remove it. Even if Nigeria maintains zero piracy on her waters for the next ten years, if we don’t force the issues they will continue to charge us.
They won’t remove the war risk insurance because they are making so much money from it.” He equally explained that NIMASA was bent on the automation of its processes and procedures, maintaining that such processes and procedures under his watch will be totally different.
We are looking at the United Kingdom (UK) and other countries with seamless automation systems to see what we can learn from them and adapt, but automation of ships registration will happen shortly,” he said.
On issuance of Certificates of Competency (COCs) and Officer of the Watch (OOW) certificates, Mobereola said the agency was working on addressing the issue and non- acceptance or limitation of the certificates by other maritime nations globally.
Also speaking on NIMASA’s Modular Floating Dock, he said efforts are being made to revive the modular floating dock with a view to generating revenue and employment. He, however, rejected agitations to deploy the equipment to its initial plan, which was to be deployed to the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) at Okerenkoko in Delta State.
“The initial plan for the floating dock was not the right one. We are going to put the Modular Floating Dock to good use so that once it begins operations, the economy, seafarers and NIMASA will benefit. We need to place the modular floating dock in an appropriate location. It is just a matter of time; we will soon get that done.”
Responding to the question of some foreign institutions which the agency engaged for training of Nigerian Cadets under the National Seafarers Development Program (NSDP), he said NIMASA is reviewing the process and that the agency is not planning to return the cadets as being speculated, but will rather ensure that the institution adhere to the terms so as not to produce half-baked and unemployable professionals in the industry.
The NIMASA helmsman pledged to partner with the maritime media in ensuring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu achieves the mandate of effectively diversifying the Nigerian economy away from crude oil by harnessing the full potential of the Marine and Blue Economy.
“We want to diversify from a wholly crude oil-dependent economy to a non-oil dependent economy and the right and best place is the Marine and Blue Economy space,” he stressed.
