The Federal Government has declared that the Navy/Private sector elite maritime security arrangement called ‘Secure Anchorage Area’ (SAA) which is located at the approach to Lagos harbours is illegal.
Speaking exclusively against the backdrop of last week’s twin piracy attacks, the Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Maritime; Mr Leke Oyewole acknowledged that there was a proposal for the SAA, but stated categorically that the arrangement has not been approved by the government.
The Federal Government has declared that the Navy/Private sector elite maritime security arrangement called ‘Secure Anchorage Area’ (SAA) which is located at the approach to Lagos harbours is illegal.
Speaking exclusively against the backdrop of last week’s twin piracy attacks, the Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Maritime; Mr Leke Oyewole acknowledged that there was a proposal for the SAA, but stated categorically that the arrangement has not been approved by the government.
Last week, two separate attacks were reported in which a crew member on a Greece tanker was killed, while many were injured. There was also an attack on a craft conveying some employees of Agip Oil. All those on board were abducted.
Shipping Position Daily had reported recently that although, NIMASA earlier cautioned against use of foreign security guards on board vessels to repel pirate attack, the Navy is in partnership with a consortium of foreign security outfits to provide high profile round-the-clock guards for the ships at the Lagos anchorage.
The partnership is between the Nigerian Navy and technical partners- Ocean Marine Security (OMS) and PGS Group. It is this consortium that is involved in the Secure Anchorage Area; an exclusive anchor point for ship coming into Lagos harbours.
Even though the President’s adviser said it is an illegal arrangement, the SAA has indeed been in existence since 2013 off the coast of Lagos for vessels that require dedicated maritime security solutions.
For these services, SAA charges $3,000 each for day one and day two followed by $1,500 from day three onwards. Additional escort services can see rates ranging from a low of $4,500 for basic services to a high of $64,000 for lengthier voyage services, inclusive of bunkers.
But denying knowledge of the arrangement, the President Maritime adviser acknowledged that “the NIMASA is only in partnership with the Navy, the Secured Anchorage is not approved by the President”
“I am only aware that there was an approval that is pending, if they (SAA) are in Lagos, then it is illegal”.
The owners of SAA had once told one of our correspondents that,” the SAA is a zone where vessels can anchor safely without fear of pirate attacks and so far the zone has recorded a 100% success rate since operations commenced. Protection can also be provided for vessels conducting Ship-To-Ship (STS) transfers in the adjacent STS zone designated by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Nick Dixon, managing director of SAA, pointed out that the SAA zone, which spans a diameter of five nautical miles just south of Lagos port, has a further diametrical two nautical miles of Maritime Exclusion Zone designed to deter potential seaborne threats and protected 24/7 by OMS supported Nigerian Navy patrol boats.
He specifically affirmed that: “the OMS supported patrol boats have been approved for use by the Nigerian Navy, given Navy call-signs and have mounted weapons onboard,” Dixon spoke at the residence of the British High Commissioner in Singapore on Tuesday.
“In the event of an attack, this would be considered an attack on the Nigerian Navy, hence all available Nigerian naval assets will be mobilised to assist,” he said.
However, in contrast to the government’s position, he added that the SAA is also a solution recognised publicly by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the NPA.
And in an apparent defence of its principal, Dixon clarified issue of hiring private armed guards in Nigeria. He pointed out that there is only one version of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that private maritime security companies should obtain if they wish to offer their services in Nigeria, and that all MoUs are signed by the Nigerian Navy’s Chief of Naval Staff.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that, a senior personnel at NIMASA; Capt Waredi Enisuoh said penultimate weekend at an industry event that there is a high influx of ships with foreign armed guards on board.
"We have a new problem and the problem is that a lot of new ships come in carrying foreign guards and there is reason to believe these foreign guards are trained in handling of arms, no doubt about it and this poses a lot of danger to your own security," he said, even as he warned that such vessels would be arrested.
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