• Decries job losses to foreigners, poor remuneration
By Steve Agbota
The Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA) has called on the Federal Government to grant Nigerian seafarers tax exemption across the country.
This is even as the association decried job losses to foreigners as competent Nigerian seafarers are struggling to get employment while majority of them are roaming the street.
The National President of NMNOWTSSA, Comrade Bob Yousou, who spoke at the 3rd edition of the annual Seafarers’ Colloquium in Lagos yesterday, said that seafarers hardly enjoy socio-amenities on ground as most of their time is spent at sea.
“We are appealing to government to look into our letter for tax exemption for Nigerian seafarers. The Union still reiterates her position for the government to ensure sea-time is provided for the Nigeria cadets. We urge the government to look inward for training of cadets. Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) has its merit and demerit.
‘Training cadets abroad makes us lose capital flight and reduce our home Maritime schools to nothing while we support for the purpose of foreign tickets, we encourage government to assist the Nigeria Maritime institutions that meet minimum standard for assistance either in grant waters to have cadet abroad,” he added.
However, he has expressed concerns over the non acceptability of interim certificates issued by the Federal Government through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to Nigerian seafarers’.
According to him, the seafarers union, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) reiterated that port states of other countries and shipping companies operating in the nation’s territorial waters disregard the Certificate of Competency (COC) issued by NIMASA, the apex regulatory agency.
Yousou said that one of the challenging issues currently faced by seafarers’ in Nigeria still concerns delay in the signing of the CoC by NIMASA despite the neglect by operators, adding that these singular act has resulted to massive job loss.
He lamented that the depreciating CoC issued by NIMASA has led to poor remuneration and delay in the payment of workers wages, adding that some shipping companies pay Nigerian seafarers’ non commensurate wages when compared to their foreign counterpart with same certificate.
He said the gap has been too wide to imaging while calling on the regulatory agency to ensure that Nigerian seafarers’ are paid as of when due and well paid just like their foreign counterparts.
In line with international best practices, the National President urged NIMASA examiners to sign the certificate instead of the Chief Executive Officer of the regulatory agency in furtherance to avoid delay of the CoC issuance.
While appealing for the regulator to look inward and make adjustments toward accelerated process of the signatory, he said, “It is our request that this be reciprocated in Nigeria so as to avoid delay in signing of CoC as a result of tight schedule of the CEO of NIMASA.
”Some shipping companies pay Nigerian seafarers non commensurate wages compared to their foreign counterpart with the same CoC and perform same duties. While acknowledging the fact that there should be disparity ,in our case the gap is too wide to image .
“We appeal to shipping companies and NIMASA as the regulatory agency to ensure Nigeria Seafarers’are paid as of when due, pointing out that,” he said.
Conversely, he urged seafarers’ to assist in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem urging the seamen to avoid polluting the waters either by dropping waste products oiling materials or things that are harmful to humans,plants and animals at sea or ocean.
He said it is very important for seafarers’ to abide by actions that help in protecting the maritime environment for the purpose of climate change.
”Water covering of the earth’s surface, the ocean transports heat from the equator to the poles, it regulates our climate and weather pattern. The need therefore for seafarers’ activities to be supportive of good climate,” he added.
The 3rd Annual Seafarers Day Colloquium in commemoration to the World Seafarers Day is put together by the NMNOWTSSA and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) .
Harping on the year’s theme in commemoration to the Seafarers’day celebration with theme “Seafarers Contribution to Protecting the
Maritime Environment”, in line with the World Maritime theme MARPOL @ 50- our commitment Goes on.