Two interesting news came up recently and we feel so strongly about them, because they underscored the state of security and the state of affairs on Nigerian waters and seaports.
First is the allegation by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that Nigerian security agents board vessels at berth to harass crew members, demanding for bribes and other forms of gratification.
In the media report, NPA also expressed dismay at the manner in which these officers have continued to extort money from trucks trying to load cargoes out of the nation’s ports.
In a two-page document signed by NPA's Assistant General Manager in charge of Security at Western Ports; Mr. S.O Asamaige for the General Manager of Western Ports; Ms Adenike Sonaike, the NPA was reported to have warned that henceforth, any officer caught in the act will be arrested and prosecuted.
In the second report, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) was charged to enforce strict regulations on Nigerian vessels at sea.
The chairman of a water transporters’ group in Lagos; Mr. Owolabi Omotayo was quoted to have alleged that there are lots of unwholesome activities such as hawking of wares on ships on Nigerian waters.
Owolabi alleged that seafarers in Nigeria are not properly regulated and their conduct needs to be checked from time to time by NIMASA.
According to him, "seafarers in Nigeria are not properly regulated, if you go to the local vessels at sea, the mode of operation adopted by our seafarers aboard the local vessels is questionable and not up to international standard".
"A situation where you find people hawking on board vessels is not acceptable, you must not allow hawkers to go about selling wares on vessels, especially as we have highly inflammable products, this still happens on our vessels".
It is shocking that things like these still happen in a country that has regulatory agencies with specific mandate to ensure compliance with all regulations.
Nigeria's natural endowment in inland water transport system stretches across more than 10,000 kilometres of navigable waterways. This water wealth comprises of rivers, creeks, lagoons and lakes, and intra-coastal waters. The main rivers are: Rivers Niger and Benue. Both rivers form a confluence at Lokoja, in Kogi State.
Available facts indicate that River Niger is the longest river in West Africa and eleventh longest in the world. The river and its main tributary (which is River Benue), the delta creeks as well as the lagoons bordering the coast form the principal navigable waterways in Nigeria.
It is also instructive that these principal navigable waterways are the major transportation routes linking Apapa, Tin Can, Warri, Port Harcourt, Onne and Calabar seaports and the numerous river ports and jetties.
The vast area of navigable waterways and the nation’s seaports facilities certainly makes for proper policing and regulation.
For instance, even though the longest waterways are the Niger River and its tributary (the Benue River), the most used waterways; especially by larger powered boats and for commerce, are in the Niger Delta and all along the coast from Lagos Lagoon to Cross River.
To oversee these and activities pertaining to them, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) was established by Decree No. 13 of 1997 with a clear mandate to manage Nigeria's vast inland waterway resources.
The Decree vests in NIWA the power of exclusive management, direction and control on the Nigerian inland waterways. This power is exercised on Nigeria’s 3000 kilometres of navigable waterways from the Nigeria/Niger and Nigeria/Cameroon borders to the Atlantic Ocean.
It is therefore the responsibility of NIWA to ensure that there is safe navigation.
But it can not be said that navigating through the thousands of Nigeria’s inland water channel is safe.
To the surprise of all, users of waterways transportation face the uncertainty of safe arrival every day. This is the most glaring demonstration of the failure of NIWA to deliver on its mandate.
The undoubted confirmation of the fact that our waterways are not safe is the rate at which accidents occur on these waters.
The alarm that was raised by water transport operators isn’t a fluke. It is a fact that our waterways are far from being safe. From Lokoja, to Calabar to Benue, to Lagos and to the Niger Delta, the story is the same.
As for the unpatriotic habits of security operatives who go on board ships to solicit for gratifications from sailors, it has become an age long ignominy, one that the port reform has not been able to erase.
But rather that threaten to expose the security agents, it is our since belief that the NPA should liaise with NIMASA to ensure that the security agents obey the rules of their engagement in the ports.
We think that, it is not out of place for security agents to board ships which arrive at our ports; it is in line with IMO regulations.
While NPA may not be covered under the law and international maritime conventions to embark on any disciplinary action against erring security agents, we think it is within the purview of NIMASA under the ISPS Code as the designated agency for its implementation in Nigeria.
We are also in agreement with NPA that the shameful act of these security agents compromises government directives that only authorized persons, trucks and cargoes are allowed to enter and exit the port.
The full implementation of and compliance with the ISPS Code may be one sure solution to the problem.
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