By Steve Agbota
The Federal Government yesterday, commissioned the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) enforcement and security boats and other infrastructure as part of the $195 million deep blue projects to enhance the nation’s maritime security and capacity in line with the best global practices towards economic development.
The projects, commissioned in Lagos, include, five new patrol/security boats, five refurbished search and rescue/pollution control boats, four staff ferries, search and rescue clinic and administrative building.
Speaking at the commissioning, the Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, said the completed projects are part of the government’s commitment for good governance and institutionalised policies for improved maritime safety and security enhancement on the nation’s waters as well as service delivery and economic development.
According to him, the projects will enable the country achieve and sustain safe, secure shipping, cleaner oceans and enhanced maritime capacity.
He hinted that the state-of-the-art enforcement platforms will ensure strict compliance and adherence with the extant laws governing the operations of the nation’s maritime domain.
He said the platforms will also give NIMASA the much-needed tools required to function as a maritime administrator in line with the protocols and conventions of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) to which NIMASA represents Nigeria as its contracting government.
He said the search and rescue clinics will enable the agency to fulfill its obligations to seafarers and the general public by providing top-notch medical care facilities, adding that the newly acquired communication gadgets will enable the agency’s enforcement as well as search and rescue operators communicate in real-time without any hindrance or interference while conducting their operations at sea.
However, the Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said the inclusion of the security/patrol boats along with the search and rescue/pollution control boats to the Deep Blue Project assets are particularly with intent to intensify the internal security of the waterways, taking into cognizance the recent proliferation of oil theft.
He said the agency also simultaneously took cognizance of the damaging impact that piracy, kidnapping of seafarers, smuggling, illegal oil bunkering, robbery at sea and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing has had on the nation’s maritime profile.
Jamoh said the successful reduction of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea can be credited to the tremendous effort of the Federal Government in terms of provision of infrastructures, through the Deep Blue Project investment towards vessels, maritime domain awareness platforms, as well as land, air and sea assets.
He said beyond the strides at overcoming maritime crime at the Gulf of Guinea, the management and safety of the nation’s inland waterways equally deserves attention.
He said this is as NIMASA is committed to ensuring the waterways are safe for local transportation and other leisure activities so that more internal revenues are generated.
Jamoh further stated that it is important to keep the inland waterways free of waste and pollutants to ensure they remain navigable in addition to keeping them secured from perpetrators of maritime crime.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education & Administration, Lynda Ikpeazu, commended NIMASA management for their focus and committment in seeing all the projects through.
She said the 9th Assembly is glad to be part of the achievement and success of the projects that will enhance shipping and security in the country.
She, however, charged the NIMASA management to ensure the judicious use of the assets, while lamenting that the problem in Nigeria is having wonderful ideas but lack maintenance culture.