Sampson Chima (Registrar NIS)
Sampson Chima (Registrar NIS)
I was part of the participants that attended the ILO convention for seafarers in 2006, since then we have been asking for the domestication of the MLC. I believe that the objectives of the convention is to assist and position seafarers worldwide, domesticating it in Nigeria will ensure that much attention is paid to the seafarers and other stakeholders who have to do with the convention. After much training, our seafarers do not have vessels to man, so I will advise that there should be an avenue where vessels will be provided to work on, because if there is no vessel, there will be no employment for seafarers. Domestication of MLC may have been done, but the challenges are still there, the convention is talking about welfare and for this to be effective, our seafarers have to be employed.
Mr. Cyril Okoro (POTEMAN)
It is okay that the MLC is being domesticated in Nigeria, but the question is how far have we gone with the Cabotage law, how many seafarers have Nigerian vessel owners employed. If your seafarers are being trained and nobody is employing them, then of what use is the MLC convention, it is supposed to work side by side with our internal operation. Our operational control which are the seafarers have been taken over by foreigners, the Cabotage law is supposed to assist Nigerians in getting employment, but unfortunately most of the vessel owners are looking for waivers, and the moment they get it, you will discover that the Nigerian seafarers are boycotted. The convention is good, but to what extent is our internal arrangement encouraging our seafarers.
Eugene Nweke (NAGAFF President)
The convention would have been more beneficial if we had instituted a formidable seafarer outfit, Nigerian seafarers are just by name, many of them do not have any sea experience. How then do they meet the market demand for seafarers and become best among equals? Till date, if you do not go the Maritime Academy in Ghana you will not be recognised, whatever they say about domestication the law makers are there to look at it again, after some years we equally have right to look at it again and see if the law is beneficial. Nigeria must not be carried away by the euphoria and beauty of the convention; mind you, those who are promulgating this convention are countries that are very active in shipping activities, they have vessels, the seafarers and the experts, but Nigeria is not a nation that has ships, we dont have trained and acceptable seafarers, no certifiable school recognition and the power to implement our Cabotage, let them stop deceiving us.
Dr. Alex Okwuashi (Rector, College of Maritime Transport)
The issue of MLC as enunciated by ILO is actually to cater for standard and welfare of seafarers and this has been there in the Merchant Shipping Act which Nigeria has domesticated. We have always looked up to the maritime administration of this country to ensure that the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act as it concerns seafarers are well implemented. For example, on the issue of training, though we have domesticated the STCW ‘95 convention, the training has started in earnest, but the seafarers are still not acceptable for jobs. We call on government to do something to ensure that the young seafarers after their theoretical work have opportunity for sea training, this can be achieved by entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with shipowners to allow the seafarers that have been trained to undertake sea time on their vessel in phases. The other area is on welfare; shipowners should make their vessels standard, you cannot put a seafarer onboard a ship, somebody who has left family, wife, children and the comfort of his home to be in a cabin that is not air conditioned, where he will be struggling with rats and drinking bad waters, there should be human face to the job.
Reverend Mike Gbadebo(Mission To Seafarers)
It’s a good development in the sense that we have something on ground to guide the policy makers in the area of provision of employment and welfare packages for the seafarers as a whole. The fact that government has ratified the MLC placed them under that jacket, thus there is no more excuse in ensuring that the seafarers get the best package from what they do. The only issue there is that they should be sincere about it because it is one thing to be a member of the global arrangement and another thing is the implementation, thus we hope that they will faithfully adhere to the provision of the convention because the government is not sincere. But then, we hope that this time around it will yield result.
John Okpono (Merchant Navy)
The MLC 2006 means good for the Nigerian seafarers because it is a domesticated and ratified agreement that made Nigeria the 34th nation to sign in the agreement which means that it is binding on all members and it also means that we are member state, it shows that we have the multi lateral and bi – lateral advantages with recognition. Again part of it has something to do with the Cabotage Act itself with the full implementation and also the welfare package for the seafarers will also be attractive, so when it will come into full operation we will benefit from it .But above all, we pray that the Nigerian factor will not kill the whole effort because the literature itself has a very good concept for Nigerian seafarers but we all know that the Nigerian factor is always a problem in things like this.
Isaac Isumanu (President AMERO)
Each time NIMASA is on the hot seat to better the lots of Nigerian seafarers it is always a problem, because there is no suggestions to build more maritime schools in Nigeria to train them and without training how can they get the right seafarers. The MLC 2006 means well for the seafarers but training is fundamental in this argument because there is the need for them to be equipped with knowledge and it is not all about remuneration. Constant training of the youths who are in the seafaring profession will make them better before we start talking about welfare package. Seafarers must be empowered with the right training so that they can work on board any vessel worldwide, thus with good qualifications and the right certificates of international repute.
Matthew Alalade (President, Merchant Navy)
The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 is going to better the lot of the Nigerian seafarers in so many ways but the problem in this regard is that government must be sincere to make sure that the suffering of the seafarers be a thing of the past. If the government agency involved will take full responsibility of the implementation then I will say all will be well, but if they do not, then we are still where we are just like that of the Cabotage Act which has not made any impact on the indigenous operators in the industry. Is it good that the federal government ratified the MLC but I pray that it meet the demand of Nigerians.
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