Master mariners in Nigeria’s maritime sector have expressed divergent opinions on the rumored cancellation of a controversial U$195 Million maritime security contract initiated by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
There were reports that President Buhari had last weekend terminated the controversial contract via a memo dispatched by his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
The President, in the memo, directed the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to terminate the contract with immediate effect.
He also ordered the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) to investigate how the contractor obtained security clearance for the job without an end user certificate.
President Buhari also ordered HLSI Security Systems and Technologies to supply items equivalent to the $50 million upfront payment it received from government.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily, a former president of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM); Capt Adewale Ishola argued that Nigeria needs a maritime security contract which should be given to experts to secure the waterways. He said that since the cancellation of the security contract with Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, piracy and sea robbery on the waters have increased.
Capt Ishola argued that the only alternative to such a security contract is the establishment of a Coast Guard.
“The issue of Global West is like throwing the baby away with the bathwater, if you remove the corruption area that has been identified and do proper arrangement, I think it would still work because a lot of things were put in place that time with NIMASA effectively in control”
“It is a highly intelligent security measure, but since that regime was dismantled, that was why we have this increase in piracy attacks”
“I know the minister is trying to float another security contract but it’s like they are talking about the due process aspect, it would have been a good alternative if we cannot get the Coast Guard working, the alternative is to engage a private security agency that can handle the security” he said.
The master mariner stressed that in order to ensure maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria must take a lead role being the Chairman of the Gulf of Guinea Commission. He also called for a more coordinated regional approach to tackling piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
“We have a problem in the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria is the Chair of the Gulf of Guinea Commission, so we must be the leading force to ensure that piracy is diminished in that area, Nigeria should take the role”
“Few years ago when admiral Dele Ezeoba was Chief of Naval Staff, there was a regional conference in Tinnapa, Calabar for three days, all the chief of naval staff from the region and observer nations like US, UK, EU and so on were there to discussed piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, solutions were given but eventually he didn’t stay long before he was removed”
“If they can go back into the report of what we discussed at that time, it would help to address the situation. When the Somalia crisis came about the other time, the world Navy to their assistance and it reduced the spate of attacks. All the countries of West Africa should also come together and form a joint patrol, it is not going to be Nigeria problem alone, it would be the entire region coming together”
“Some of these other countries do not have the means and willpower like Nigeria, but we have the money and what it takes, so why are we not using it”, he said.
Also speaking with Shipping Position Daily, incumbent President of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, Capt Tajudeen Alao expressed his support for the cancellation of the maritime security contract promulgated by Amaechi.
Alao argued that it was wrong to commit the security of Nigerian waters in the hands of foreigners. He however called for the Nigerian Navy to be empowered and given more platforms to operate.
According to him, “If the Navy is empowered, I don’t think NIMASA should fund the Navy, Nigeria as a government should support total security on the water, we must not hand over our security to an Israeli firm, are they going to secure up to Lokoja, if we dredge the River Niger from there to Baro, we should protect our waters by ourselves”
“Gulf of Guinea extends to Sierra Leone, it is not the duty of Nigeria to secure the Gulf of Guinea, we must first of secure our own waters up to 200 nautical miles and our Navy is capable, under international law, you cannot go and secure another man’s water, it is another territory”
“We should empower our Navy with hundreds of patrol boat which we can afford, we should employ more men in the Navy and train them to secure the waters, not to go and call Israeli people. If not for militancy, our waters were very safe” he said
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