Harboursandport.com: Lagos - Intensifying the
quest for cooperation among relevant government agencies in a bid to secure
Nigeria’s maritime domain, the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has visited
Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed
Babandede, in Abuja, with a declaration that teamwork was the surest means to
security.
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Comptroller-General
of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede (r) making a
presentation to the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and
Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh during a working visit by NIMASA DG
and his team to the NIS in Abuja recently.
A statement by the Head, Corporate Communications, Philip Kyanet,
noted that the NIMASA boss who was at the NIS headquarters on a working
visit said the immigration service was a critical stakeholder in the security
apparatus of the country. He said the service was also key in the
implementation of the Cabotage law, which seeks to empower Nigerians in the
maritime sector.
The
Director-General stated, “We need to interface and synergise to achieve our
common goal of national security. Immigration is key to the success of the
country’s maritime imperatives in many ways.
“Many of the criminal activities that take place in our waters emanate
from land, and NIS is a very important element in any effort to nip such crimes
in the bud.”
Jamoh added, “Collaboration
with the NIS is crucial in the achievement of the objectives of the Cabotage
Act. Such a partnership will go a long way in reducing inter-agency conflicts
that often arise from the overlap of functions.
“There are provisions in the immigration law, for instance, that
empower the NIS to grant work permits to expatriates, and some of these
expatriates work as seafarers. But, then, according to one of the four legs of
the Cabotage regime, expatriates are not meant to man our ships, except where
their expertise is needed for such operation. And their services can only be
engaged after a waiver has been granted by the exclusive permission of the
Minister of Transportation.
“To avoid any conflicts that may arise from a situation, where, for
instance, a seafarer had obtained a work permit from the immigration but is not
qualified to function as a seafarer within the Nigerian maritime domain,
collaboration between NIMASA and NIS is necessary. This will help to harmonise
the seemingly overlapping laws and forestall unnecessary rancour or squabbling
among officers of the two agencies.”
Jamoh said NIMASA was currently enjoying
such synergy with sister organisations, like the Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police,
and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
“So far, we have recorded tremendous successes in our various mandates
through such collaboration,” he
said. “One
of the most notable is the recent arrest of suspected pirates, which was made
possible by information and intelligence sharing.”
Responding, Babandede expressed the readiness of the NIS to partner with NIMASA to curb illegal migration and
piracy. He disclosed that NIS had started making use of the Migration
Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS), a comprehensive border
management information system developed by the International Organisation
for Migration (IOM). The Comptroller-General said MIDAS was designed with the
capability to collect, process, store, and analyse traveler
information, especially the biometrics and profile, in real
time for the purpose of identification, verification, and authentication
of documents.
He said MIDAS had been installed in
about 24 locations across the country’s land borders, airports, and seaports.
They include the International airports in Abuja, Enugu, Lagos, and Kano; and
land borders in Ogun, Cross River, Kastina, Jigawa, Kebbi, and Zamfara states.
Jamoh was accompanied on the visit by
NIMASA’s Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Victor
Ochei, and Abuja Zonal Office Coordinator, Mr. Zailani Musa Attah.
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