Some master mariners have take a swipe at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) over the state of the multi-Billion Naira floating dock that is currently hibernating at the Naval Dockyard in Victoria Island Lagos
The Masters Mariners lampooned NIMASA for being wasteful and lackadaisical towards putting the floating dock to work.
Recall that NIMASA had on June 11, 2018 taken delivery of the floating dock, which it said would help boost ship repair capacity, generate revenue and create employment for Nigerians, but one year after, the vessel is lying dormant at the Naval Dockyard, even as Nigeria ships owners still take their ships to neighbouring countries for dry-docking.
Investigations carried out by Shipping Position Daily Newspaper reveals that over N4million is spent daily as running /maintenance cost with no significant benefits to the economy.
In a chat with the National President of the Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA), Engineer Matthew Alalade, he opined that the acquisition of the floating dock is a colossal waste that lacks proper consultation.
He said: “I think the floating dock acquired by NIMASA is a colossal waste of resources, I don’t know why they acquired such a thing without making due consultation
“When they got it, they told us it is their project without consulting expertise on it. And up till now they are yet to put it to work.
“They didn’t make investigation on whether it will be commercial and where they are going to put it, I think NIMASA is the person to ask why they have decided to make the floating dock to rot away. If you ask me I will say they didn’t make proper consultation before acquiring it”.
“So why will ship owners not go to other west African countries to dry dock their ship, when the one we have is left to rot away at the naval dockyard”, he said.
Speaking in the same vein, Capt Taiwo Akinpelumi described the acquisition of the floating dock by NIMASA as a means of siphoning funds meant for the general public.
According to him “If so much money is wasted on acquiring a facility and the facility is lying fallow, definitely my reaction to it will not be palatable, because if you know how much they spent on the colossal floating dock it is quite alarming, NIMASA spent over N28 billion to acquire that dock and the amount it is still counting”.
“Let me ask you, is a regulator supposed to be a vessel owner? What business does NIMASA have for them to say they want to buy a floating dock; if not to use it as way to siphon our collective resources, if they spent N28 billion to acquire a floating dock and a floating dock is not something you go and buy within one week or one month?
“This floating dock was conceived by the former NIMASA DG Akpobolokemi, and up till the time it arrived Nigeria sometimes last year and up till now there is no mention of what they intend to use it for.
“Another interesting aspect of this is that the floating dock is incurring $30,000 daily in one year you know how much that is.
The act is barbaric, inexplicable, it is ill-conceived, it’s wicked and a waste of resources”. he said.
All efforts made by our correspondent, to get the reaction of the Deputy Director of Public Relations at NIMASA; Mr Isichie Osamgbi was abortive, text and emails sent to him on the state of the floating dock were not replied to, as at the time of filling this report.
Discussion about this post