Galtima Liman (Maritime Expert)
I don’t know what made government to add safety and security to the role of NIMASA, It was not part of NIMASA’s function before, but it was just added and there is an Act backing it, there is no way it can be un-bundled and set up again. I can recall that there was a Maritime Security Agency Bill which some people are pushing for, but it is not really necessary to set up another agency, what we should do is to address the core issues, because no matter how many agencies you create, it wouldn’t stop the problem, what I think should be done is a review of the operations of NIMASA itself and align it with its key objective which is shipping development. As I speak with you now, we don’t have a merchant fleet, when the shipping development is in place; this is when we can talk about safety of the shipping and security of the cargo and personnel manning the ships. The structures we have in place now is just supporting foreign vessels carting away our cargoes, The major concern of NIMASA is to go back to the drawing board and see how they can implement shipping development.
Ayo Adedoyin (Chairman, NIMAREX 2015)
The issue has always been that there are too many agencies with the same functions, so we really need to understand the role of NIMASA, the agency had formed a partnership with Global West so that they can meet their safety obligations, but when you really look at it, the only agency with the mandate of safeguarding the waters is the Navy, it is really not NIMASA, asking the functions to be removed from NIMASA is like changing the whole idea of why NIMASA was set up in the first place. The question here is; do they have the platform to do what they are meant to do? Do they have enough boats to do that? I know they are working with the Navy, but without a proper platform in place, we would just be going in circles, if the functions are removed from NIMASA, who are they going to give it to, if you give it to another agency, would they also have the platform to do the job, I think it is more like empowering NIMASA or whatever agency the government feels should do the job. Removing it is not the answer.
Comrade Owolabi Omotayo (Water Transport, MWUN)
With the recent controversy generated by the handling of maritime security and safety by NIMASA, I do not think the nation should thread the same path again. I suggest a special strike force be carved out from the Nigerian Navy with the specialisation to diligently and dutifully protect all our maritime investments and wealth. This Naval strike force should be well trained and well informed on international maritime security operations. This force must be well funded with state of the art technological equipment such as Drones, Helicopters, Jets etc with operational bases starting from Seme offshore border to Bakassi offshore border.
Kayode Farinto (ANLCA)
NIMASA’s Act empower her to secure and monitor our territorial waters in collaboration with the Navy. NIMASA collects sea protection levy, collects water pollution levy, why must it shy away from its responsibilities of protecting our territorial waters. We don’t actually need any agency to perform some of the functions of the apex maritime agency, rather what we need is square pegs in square holes and what we have now is square pegs in round hole. We need somebody who understands the nitty gritty of the maritime industry. The Act stipulates that the DG of NIMASA must have knowledge of maritime. There is no point to unbundle the agency knowing fully well that it generates revenue for the government, the agency is the most powerful maritime agency of government and if well harnessed, it can handle issues surrounding our waters effectively without hitches. But because everything is highly influenced politically, that is why it has suffered major setbacks. However we need total overhaul of top management of NIMASA.
Chima Sampson (NIS)
There is need to examine the Act that established NIMASA holistically going by the responsibilities given to it. NIMASA is the eye of IMO in Nigeria and that is why it must maintain those statutory roles. Maritime safety and security is a convention of IMO,SOLAS is also a convention etc, they are the responsibilities of the agency, therefore there is need to be given maximum support. The only area that can be unbundled is the area of maritime labour but every other responsibility should remain because safety and security is the hallmark of NIMASA’s functions. However, it is important to note that the services of Coast Guard will help in the area of safety. The safety aspect can be outsourced to Coast Guard and I believe they will perform in that regards, while the Navy, Air Force and NIMASA can now focus on the security aspect.
Chris Sadoh (SMA)
What NIMASA truly needs at the moment is government total support without being influenced by politics, because it is not out of place to say that it is the responsibility for NIMASA to police and secure our territorial waters, according to the Act establishing it. The understanding with Navy and Air Force must be sustained, more platforms must be acquired and above all constant policing or patrol on our water is key in order to tackle issues relating to safety at sea. Apart from security, safety is also important because things like accident and pollution on our waters need to be taken care of as well.
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