By Rahanetu Abuh
Harboursandport.com: Lagos - October 9, 2024 : Concerned about the difficulties seafarers face in obtaining sea time, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, the President of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria MARAN, has charged the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's government to declare a state of emergency for seafarers seeking sea time practice experience.
In his speech at a press briefing at the MARAN International Press Center in Lagos, Bivbere charged President Tinubu to direct the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and the management of NIMASA to immediately commence collation of all seafarers seeking sea time as well as those who have completed sea time and are searching for employment.
Bivbere said, "President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must as a matter of urgency, mandate and direct NIMASA to compile a list of all seafarers seeking sea time placement and also those who have completed their sea time and seeking employment, so that a data base can be created."
"NIMASA must ensure that all those on the database are verifiable and qualified to ensure that foreign bodies coming for them do not get substandard cadets.
The second leg must be for the President to also direct NIMASA to create an enabling environment for Nigerians to own vessels, not just for the cabotage environment but also for the global shipping business," he added
He stressed the need for young seafarers to be given the opportunity to achieve their potential rather than becoming beggars of sea time online daily.
He explained that the above situation will lead to Nigeria becoming a laughing stock in the committee of maritime nations if not addressed squarely by the Nigerian government.
According to him, "Unless urgent measures are taken by the Federal Government and especially the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Nigeria will soon become a laughing stock in the global maritime industry.
"The neglect of seafarers after their academic work in pursuit of the sea time by the Nigerian government is forcing the young seafarers, male and female, to resort to begging for sea time space from global shipping lines and practitioners," he said.
In the face of these overwhelming obstacles, the MARAN president suggested strengthening the Nigerian Certificate of Competency, CoC, as a way to address the enduring problem.
Reiterating that there is only one way out, he called on the government rather than the government-owned shipping company to consciously create the favourable conditions and empower Nigerian ship owners by giving them jobs that will allow them to carry on with their business, stay afloat, and reap the rewards of their investment.
"If you recall in the days of National Shipping Line, NSL, there was no scarcity of sea time for Nigerian-trained cadets. I am not calling for a government-owned shipping line, but for the government to deliberately put in place the enabling environment and also empower Nigerian ship owners by providing them jobs that will enable them to continue to operate, remain afloat, and benefit from their investment," he noted.
"While other nations provided proper identity cards for their cadets, NIMASA is issuing A4 paper, and employers are further rejecting Nigerian seafarers due to the lack of this ID card.
"The unavailability of the discharge book is another issue. Imagine a company comes and wants to take Nigerians on a foreign vessel; then NIMASA is unable to issue a discharge book, and the best they can offer is a temporary A4 paper," Bivbere said.
 |
| The Lead, 4 Circle Consult and President of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, 4th from the left, flanked on both sides by the aggrieved seafarers. |
No comments:
Post a Comment