· Staff lament relocation, say leaving Apapa is a significant loss
Findings by Shipping Position Daily have revealed that the recent relocation of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) headquarters from Apapa to Victoria Island in Lagos is stirring controversy and eliciting negative reactions from stakeholders within and outside of the maritime industry.
Specifically, stakeholders have described the relocation as a wasteful expenditure, that is not in the interest of the Nigerian maritime industry as well as staff of the agency.
Similarly, within NIMASA, some staff members have expressed discontent over the disruption caused by the shift from their familiar base in Apapa. Several staff members, who spoke to our correspondent, but chose to remain anonymous, lamented the distance from their residences to the new headquarters located on Victoria Island in Lagos.
In an exclusive chat with our correspondent, a senior staff member at NIMASA, who pleaded anonymity for obvious reasons, voiced concerns about the logistical challenges posed by the relocation. He said, “While I understand the agency’s rationale for the move, it’s undeniable that the transition has been disruptive for many of us. Adjusting to a new environment amidst our existing responsibilities has been a considerable challenge,” he remarked.
Similarly, another staff member highlighted the sentimental attachment to the former headquarters in Apapa. “Apapa has been our home for decades, and leaving it behind feels like a significant loss. It’s not just about the physical location, but also the memories and camaraderie we shared as a team,” she stated.
On the contrary, a staff member who welcomed the relocation, emphasized the potential benefits it offers. “Victoria Island offers a more conducive and modern work environment compared to Apapa. The move signifies NIMASA’s commitment to progress and efficiency, which ultimately benefits both employees and stakeholders,” he remarked optimistically.
In addition to internal reactions, stakeholders within the maritime industry have also weighed in on the relocation of NIMASA’s headquarters.
In a chat with our correspondent, Captain Thomas Kemewerigha, a former President of the Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, vehemently criticized the move, denouncing it as fraudulent and lacking in professionalism. He raised concerns about the strategic significance of Apapa, a major hub for maritime operations, and questioned the motives behind the relocation.
Captain Kemewerigha alleged corruption in the construction and refurbishment of the new headquarters building.
He also expressed frustration over the logistical challenges imposed by the relocation, highlighting the inconvenience and additional expenses to be incurred by staff members in accessing the new headquarters in Victoria Island.
He emphasized the need for transparency and accountability, predicting that the true motivations behind the relocation would eventually be exposed.
“The move is a complete fraud and it is not professional. Because there is a saying that there is time for everything and when the time comes, the clarity of this issue will be addressed
“How on earth will you carry a body that is quite strategic with their major stakeholders operating from Apapa, then you carry the headquarters to Victoria Island. It is greed. It is corruption. We have information that the building cost over N17 billion.
“We were also rightly informed that they used about N10 billion for the refurbishment of that building that lacks all the requirements of a statutory body like NIMASA; a flagship office. They hurriedly did what they did to justify it and divide the minds of the people that everything’s in order. It is not in order.
“It is now that they will open the cans of worms, people will start talking.
And the true picture of what transpired will come out, because of that building”, he alleged.
Also, speaking on the relocation, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, President-General of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) in a chat with our correspondent, emphasized the paramount importance of workers’ welfare in any organizational decision. He called for proactive measures from the new Director-General to address the challenges posed by the relocation and ensure the well-being of NIMASA employees.
“The welfare of workers is paramount, you can’t just move the workers from here in Apapa to that place, it won’t work. and I believe the new DG will do something about it” he said
On the other hand, Godfrey Bivbiere, President of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), criticized the relocation as a wasteful expenditure. He argued that the funds allocated for the acquisition of the new headquarters could have been better utilized to empower local ship owners, and address the agency’s core mandate effectively. .
“it’s a waste of money; a waste of resources, what is the function of the NIMASA that money that they used to go and acquire that edifice; if they have channeled it to empower one ship owner, the effect will be felt in the industry in fact the NIMASA has deviated from the main core function that they are called for”
In contrast, Captain Williams Ogunsakin, Alumni President of the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology and South West Director of the Merchant Seafarers Association of Nigeria, offered a more optimistic perspective. He viewed the relocation as a necessary step to accommodate the expanding port operations, particularly with the development of the Lekki Deep Seaport. Captain Ogunsakin pointed out the practical benefits of having a satellite office in Victoria Island, facilitating easier access to other maritime sites without the traffic congestion associated with Apapa.
“I don’t see anything that is bad in that idea, you know we are expanding with our port operations and we have the Lekki Deep Seaport, not just that, my daughter is working in NIMASA and she’s among the people that they took along to that place first and they were telling me as it’s happening and it’s not as though they are removing the entire operations away from Apapa, it will just be like satellite station.
“The VI is a better place, if they want to go and do an inspection in Lekki now, they don’t need to face the traffic hurdle from Apapa to Lekki anymore. Because Apapa to Lekki is a long distance.
“I don’t see anything wrong in the decision to move the headquarters to Victoria Island because Apapa is already faced with the challenges of gridlock. Nobody wants to do business they can do somewhere else, in Apapa now” he said.
