The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) says it has began clamping down on port facilities that are not in compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) in fulfillment of its mandate as a designated authority.
In a statement released by Head of Public Relations of NIMASA, Hajia Lami Tumaka in Lagos yesterday, the apex maritime agency also said that it has shut down the jetty belonging to a petroleum tank farm, Obat Oil and Petroleum Limited Jetty at Ibafon area of Apapa for non-compliance with the provisions of the code.
The agency said that the facility was adjudged to be non-compliant despite repeated warnings and extension of time graciously granted its management over the past year.
According to the statement, this closure was also in exercise of the Agency’s powers in line with provisions of Part VIII of the ISPS Code Implementation Regulations 2014.
NIMASA in the statement said it has commenced the shutting of port facilities that have persistently failed to comply with the ISPS code so as to forestall a situation where security breaches in such facilities will negatively impact the compliant ones.
It also warned that any shut facility will remain closed until the managers of such a facility correct the identified deficiencies and pay a prescribed fine before they will be reopened for business.
“It will be recalled that NIMASA, which formally became the Designated Authority for the implementation of the code in May 2013 when compliant facilities were less than 10, has progressively grown the number to over 80% of the nation’s 129 facilities”
“The goal of the Agency is to achieve 100% compliance which will guarantee the security of ships and port facilities especially in this period when terrorist activities have been heightened. This exercise is a continuous one” it said
Discussion about this post