· GMDSS now functional
Harboursandport.com: Lagos - The Director-General of the
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Bashir Jamoh
has ascribed the decline of piracy on Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea to
collaboration among various organs of Government in Nigeria, Governments in the
region, and stakeholders from within and outside the country.
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The NIMASA boss also disclosed that two of the Agency’s
Global Maritime Distress Safety System, GMDSS, located at the Regional Maritime
Rescue Coordination Center, RMRCC in Kirikiri Lagos and Takwa Bay are now fully
functional.
Speaking on the collaboration while
receiving the management of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Channel 10
in Lagos, Jamoh also noted that the success in fighting piracy in Nigeria is a
combination of many factors, which has seen the entire gamut of security
architecture working together to achieve a common goal.
He
noted that “Our joy is that Nigeria has exited the piracy list and the progress
is steady. No single organization can lay total claim for success.
The Presidency is playing a major role by providing direction, the Armed forces
are playing their role as enshrined in the constitution, and NIMASA is playing
its role by being an effective Maritime Administration with the Deep Blue
Project as a focal tool. The National Assembly who gave us the SPOMO Act and
the Judiciary who have now ensured maritime crimes are punished in Nigeria
should also get credit”, he said.
He
also acknowledged the support from the international maritime stakeholders as
key to the success in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea”.
According to him, the international conglomerates, including the major oil
marketers, International Tanker owners, INTERTANKO, and the International Cargo
Owners, INTERCARGO amongst others who are part of the joint industry-working
group, which has now metamorphosed into the SHADE Gulf of Guinea, also deserve
some credit.
The NIMASA boss stated, “We have
greatly enhanced the safety of navigation of vessels on our waters, every
vessel within the Nigerian territorial waters and even beyond can easily access
our GMDSS. The ones in Takwa Bay and Kirikiri are now fully functional, while
the other three stations located in Oron, Bonny, and Escravos are almost ready
to commence full operations. These are some gaps identified in the Nigerian
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency by the IMO during its last IMO Member
State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) and we are closing these gaps,” he said.
Commenting on Suppression of
Piracy and other Maritime Related Offences SPOMO Act, which now serves as a
model for other countries in the Region, Jamoh noted the need for harmonization
of laws to ensure uniformity of purpose in prosecuting maritime offenses within
the region.
“Other countries in our region
are now in the process of enacting laws similar to our SPOMO Act. This is the
time for us to ensure harmonized Maritime Laws in the Gulf of Guinea to ensure
criminalities in the maritime sector are prosecuted easily within the region,
thus no safe haven for criminals in the region”.
Jamoh also noted that NIMASA
decided to engage the Naval Dockyard to repair the Agency’s patrol boats as
part of efforts to deepen inter-Agency collaboration with the Nigerian Navy.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation
and the General Manager, NTA Channel 10, Engr. Olusegun Osinowo commended the
efforts of the Jamoh-led administration in its quest to realise a robust
maritime sector, while also pledging the continuous support of the media in
educating the public on the activities of the Agency. “With this feat, it is evident that
President Buhari did not make a mistake in his choice of appointing the DG of
NIMASA”, he said.
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