…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 inwards for training of cadets. Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) has its merits and demerits.
“Training cadets abroad encourages capital flight and reduces our home-based maritime schools to nothing. We encourage the government to assist the Nigeria maritime institutions that meet minimum standard for assistance either in grant waters to have cadet abroad,” he added.
However, Yousou 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 concerns delay in the signing of the CoC by NIMASA despite the neglect by operators, adding that this 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 imagine. He called on the regulatory agency to ensure that Nigerian seafarers are paid 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.