The Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has appealed to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to train senior seafarers (also called Officers) on aboard ships, as part of effort to boost capacity.
The seafarers union made the plea while speaking against the backdrop of the apex maritime regulatory agency‘s promise to train seafarers of junior cadre as well as ratings.
Deputy Secretary General, of the union, Comrade John Okpono, in a chat with Shipping Position Daily, in Lagos said that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. He argued that both the senior staff union and its junior counterpart have both contributed to the industry’s growth.
The Director General, of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside at a recent event organized by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria {MWUN}, promised to train over 2000 ratings who are members of the Maritime Workers Union, a development that the senior officers’ group lauded, but demanded its own share of the capacity building programme for members.
While four maritime training institutions across the country have been pencilled down to train seafarers, the merchant navy association has opined that training of senior officers was quite expensive for individuals who occupy key positions aboard ship, therefore the need for NIMASA to train them is germane.
The union’s Deputy Scribe stressed the need for the NIMASA has the regulatory body to carry all labour unions in the maritime sector along, adding that nobody should be left behind in its quest to bequeath the best capacity to maritime industry stakeholders.
‘’We commend NIMASA on the move to train seafarers, but again it is worthy to note that we the senior officers need the training as well’’.
We are appealing to NIMASA to also train our officers in the same vein, because what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.’’
‘’The training should be for both the officers and ratings because theY work hand in hand aboard ships’’.
‘’Training of officers is expensive and we also need the support of NIMASA to assist us the way they intend to help the ratings in this regards’’, he added.
He also commended the agency’s DG for deeming it fit to training labour workers in the maritime sector, adding that the seafarers union would continue to support the agency in areas of human and capacity building.
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