Few days to the celebration of this year's world seafarers day, the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA) has lauded the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) for the effective implementation of the Cabotage Act.
The National President of (NMNOWTSSA) Engineer Matthew Alalade, who disclosed this in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday, also expressed hope for the future of the nation's seafarers.
He lauded the government for ensuring that Nigerian seafarers are on board vessels.
"The future is bright for our seafarers because, the government is now putting our members on board vessels now, the Cabotage is taking effect now. For the past years it has not been effective but now, they are recruiting our members now unlike before. They have done well now as regards to the implementation of the Cabotage act. The government is trying now and NIMASA too", he affirmed.
Also speaking on the coming event, he called for the need for more attention to be given to the welfare of the seafarers in terms of salaries, even as he explained that vessel owners should be ready for negotiations to ensure proper welfare of the workers.
He added that the Nigerian Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) is doing all it can to ensure that seafarers are properly taken care of.
“The owner must be ready to negotiate and see that seafarers’ welfare is good. So their welfare and standard of living should be taken care of because they sacrifice a lot at sea. They are not always at home for a long time so the trauma and the stress is much. So what we are doing through the NJIC is that they do something more for seafarers", he concluded.
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