A maritime practitioner; Mr. Lucky Amiwero has faulted government decisions that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to collect revenue on behalf of the federal government.
Amiwero explained that the core mandate of the agency is to build capacity in numerous ways for practitioners in the industry.
Speaking at a recent two-day conference organised by the Maritime Correspondents Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) held last week in Lagos, the President of National Council of Managing Director Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) maintained that NIMASA has derailed from what its core mandate should be.
Amiwero at the conference tagged “Improved port efficiency in Nigeria” reiterated that the agency has failed to build capacity for the operators, alleging that officials of the agency have cornered the percentage of the agency’s revenue that is meant for training into private purses.
The foremost maritime practitioner alleged that the 25% funds put in place to build capacity in numerous ways for indigenous practitioners, have been diverted by few individuals in NIMASA.
He also charged participants that such monies are meant for them, urging the stakeholders to take advantage and find out why trainings are not embarked upon by NIMASA.
He stated that: “There are provisions for NIMASA to build capacity for indigenous operators ”
“Nobody is talking about it and I expect you all to ask questions why NIMASA is not building capacity for local or indigenous operators”.
He also lamented the dearth of a national carrier, saying that it’s an avenue to build capacity for indigenous operators, and added that the laws setting up NIMASA has been abused government officials.
He said when properly harnessed, the Cabotage Act can change the fortune of Nigerians in the industry, but added that some group of persons do not want the law to thrive in the country.
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