Director of Shipping Development, Nigerian Maritime Safety and Administration (NIMASA) Capt. Warredi Enisuoh, says poor wages for seafarers contributed to the security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea.
Enisuoh made the assertion on Wednesday in Lagos in a paper entitled: “Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea”, which he delivered at the ongoing Nigeria Maritime Expo, 2014.
He described as worrisome, buying of stolen goods, saying that it fuelled insecurity in the area.
Director of Shipping Development, Nigerian Maritime Safety and Administration (NIMASA) Capt. Warredi Enisuoh, says poor wages for seafarers contributed to the security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea.
Enisuoh made the assertion on Wednesday in Lagos in a paper entitled: “Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea”, which he delivered at the ongoing Nigeria Maritime Expo, 2014.
He described as worrisome, buying of stolen goods, saying that it fuelled insecurity in the area.
The shipping expert regretted that piracy was usually committed by ship crew members or passengers for private purposes, on high seas, including the exclusive economic zones.
Enisuoh identified depletion of natural resources, gangster activities and lack of required equipment and technology as factors contributing to insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.
He noted that statistics released by the International Maritime Organisation showed that in 2013, piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea were high during the months of February, April and July.
The expert also noted that the statistics indicated that the least attack was experienced in the month of September, while no attack was recorded in the months of October and December.
Enisuoh said that it was necessary to establish an active maritime administration, create public awareness, have a robust legal framework and demonstrate willingness to respond to the challenges.
He noted that detection of the problem was capital intensive.
According to him, some of the detection efforts could involve building an intelligence network at sea and on land.
The maritime expert said that while the normal shore-based radar system had the ability to detect objects in zero visibility conditions, it was capital intensive and limited in range by the distance of the sea horizon.
He said that though detention remained the most human way of dealing with perpetrators, it could result in prolonged legal wrangling.
He also said that destruction was the most inhuman way of dealing with the problem, adding that it also required strong legal backing.
Enisuoh urged that security challenges in the marine environment must be tackled with improved technology for more effectiveness.
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