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Fred Itua, Abuja
The Senate yesterday absolved Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, a foremost maritime logistics and security company, of any infractions, fraud or criminal activities in its operations in the maritime security and handling of the Secure Anchorage Area, SAA.
This followed deliberations and adoption of the report of the Senate Joint Committees on Navy, Marine Transport and Finance, chaired by Senator
George Thompson Sekibo, who laid the report before the Senate.
The Senate said rather than being vilified: “Ocean Marine Solutions Limited should be commended for its genuine national interests in investing over four hundred million ($400,000,000) dollars into the security at the Secure Anchorage Area (SAA) in particular and the Nigerian waterways in general by providing the needed platforms and logistics to the Nigerian Navy to effectively perform 24/7/365 patrol operations as well as to provide the required protection for vessels waiting to berth at the Lagos ports.
“That since no fraud is found in the operations of OMSL and is operating at no cost to government, OMSL should be allowed to continue its operation at SAA.”
Other recommendations include: Proper funding of the Nigerian Navy to enable it carry out its constitutional responsibilities without over depending on Private Maritime Logistics Support Companies (PMLSC).
It also commended the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Ports Authority and NIMASA for initiating and implementing a process that led to the provision of enhanced and advanced maritime security in the Secure Anchorage Area (SAA) in the Lagos waters in 2013, that has led in check mating the high rate of attacks on vessels waiting to berth at the Lagos ports.
The Joint Committee was set up following a debate at The Senate sitting of Thursday, November 7, 2019. This followed complaints by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, of alleged illegal security activities of OMSL at Lagos ports and alleged failure to remit funds to government coffers.
The Committee invited nine(9) critical stakeholders to make presentations. Those invited were: The Federal Ministry of Transportation, The Nigerian Ports Authority; The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency; The Nigerian Navy; Ocean Marine Solutions Limited; Nigerian Shippers Council; National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders; Shipowners Association of Nigeria and the Maritime Section of the Nigeria Police Force.
At the end of its investigations, the Committee in its report said it was able to arrive at the following findings, among others: “That the existence and operation of the SAA cannot in anyway be a threat to national security as it is being operated and supervised directly by the Nigerian Navy and not by OMSL directly; That the heightened insecurity in the Nigerian waters in 2012, particularly at the Lagos waters led to the establishment of SAA; That the relevant government agencies(NPA, NIMASA, DPR and Nigerian Navy) were involved in the meetings and consultation process that led to the establishment of SAA; That the Nigerian Navy as the institution saddled with the responsibility of securing the territorial waterways operate in the SAA with platforms, logistics and technical support provided by OMSL; That the boats provided by OMSL at the SAA are painted in the Nigerian Navy colours, given Navy call signs and operated essentially as part of the naval fleet under the command and control of the Nigerian Navy.”
The Committee also affirmed that, “there is no genuine intention in the argument being canvassed by those seeking for the dismantling of the SAA facility due to the fact that no alternative arrangement has been put in place.”
The Committee further noted in its report that: “The operation of the Secure Anchorage Area (SAA) by Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMSL) is legal due to the fact that it was established in 2013 after an intensive stakeholders meeting led by NPA and NIMASA and the subsequent approval issue by both, through Marine Notice published in Vanguard of 27th November, 2013 and Guardian newspaper of 4th April, 2014.
With the publication of Marine Notices, the Nigerian Navy went into an MOU with OMSL. The Notices and MOU makes the operation of OMSL legal.
“That Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMSL) is a limited liability company registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and pays its tax to appropriate government agencies and is having up-to -date tax clearance certificate.
“That the operation of SAA by OMSL as approved by relevant government agencies(NPA, NIMASA and Nigerian Navy) it is not a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and as such OMSL does remit funds to the Federation Account.”
