About 21 days to the expiry of the 90 days ultimatum handed down to Nigeria by the United States Coast Guard, the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES) has said that Nigerian ports and waterways are still far from being compliant with the International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) code.
About 21 days to the expiry of the 90 days ultimatum handed down to Nigeria by the United States Coast Guard, the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES) has said that Nigerian ports and waterways are still far from being compliant with the International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) code.
Speaking at the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) press centre in Lagos yesterday, President of AMES, Charles Uwadua advised the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as the designated authority for the implementation of the code to demonstrate its authority.
According to Uwadua, NIMASA must take full responsibility and utilize the opportunity given by the government of America in order to discuss with the International Port Security Liaison Officer and Commander of the US COAST GUARD; Mr. David Gates who according to him, has offered to assist Nigeria.
Uwadua asked NIMASA to develop an information centre where the list of compliant ports and terminals should be uploaded.
He also called for the sponsoring of national laws and development of appropriate regulations to capture the essence of unlawful acts against maritime navigation, ISPS Code and relevant international instruments.
Also speaking at the conference, another member of the association and former Government Inspector of Ships, Engineer Olu Akinsoji called for proper monitoring of hotels and private homes that are situated around Nigerian water channels.
Akinsoji particularly fingered a hotel on on Victoria Island in Lagos as well as other hotels, tank farm constructions and private homes, saying that NIMASA must condone off these areas as well as provide perimeter fencing.
"The vulnerability of our ports is a threat to navigation, particularly to international ships in the fact that along the coast, you have private houses, some of them don't have anything to do with shipping, they even have private boats that they move around in the channel as close as they wish, even on international ships at anchorage"
Specifically, he pointed out that :"Federal Palace (Hotel) is there as well as other houses, even tank farms along the jetty, these are threats, except there is a special standard measures taken to condone these areas from the channel so that people who are living there will have security fencing. Also, the lighting along the jetty should be standardized; we should also have CCTV for monitoring every vessel".
Apart from these, the association said that security zones should be established around international ships when they are maneuvering on our Nigerian waters.
It also called for the harmonization of the various security agencies that are currently operating on Nigerian waters.
"Do we have security zones around ships to prevent somebody from Ogogoro village, for instance from boarding the vessel from the waterside, Ogogoro village is just about 100meters from a port in Tin Can, a fast boat will move there in five minutes", he stated.
"What about illumination, sometimes you have blackouts, how can you justify safety in an area where there is possibility of blackouts? How secured are the common areas in the port, the porousity of the port is still very difficult to control" the group said.
Even though it rated NIMASA to be doing well in terms of awareness on maritime safety and ISPS code, the marine engineers say that there is need for a follow-up administratively to give a concrete foundation to sustainable security and safety of vessels on Nigerian waters.
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