Two of the several seafarers who are in different prisons all over the country have regained their freedom. They were freed by the Federal High Court Ikoyi.
Although he did not give names of the seafarers, but confirming this exclusively to Shipping Position Daily last week, Secretary of the Merchant Navy Directorate, Capt Alfred Oniye said the two seafarers were released courtesy of efforts of the directorate.
He said that the seafarers have been incarcerated for over four months for a crime they know nothing about.
"Two seafarers bail bonds were signed at the Ikoyi prison, these were part of the job we have been doing, they are Nigerians and they have been in detention for the past four months over a crime they know nothing about", he revealed.
Capt Oniye also took a swipe at the National Seafarers Welfare Board, saying that the board which is supposed to fight for the right of seafarers is not functioning. He subsequently called on the Chairman of the board; Otunba Kunle Folarin to step down from office haven served for 10 years.
"Not until this year, nobody knew the board was existing, Otunba Kunle Folarin should step down, he is an old man, he cannot feel seafarers’ pains, he does not have the strength to implement anything, for 10 years he has tried, let him take a bow and go, he should let those who understand the job do it because he does not understand what welfare means", he argued.
Justifying his position, he added that most of the seafarers are in jail unjustly. "Most of these seafarers are suffering for the crime committed by ship owners. It is a normal crime being committed by the shipowners themselves, the captain will not sail a vessel without the order of the ship owner, and how would the crew know that the documents were complete? It is only the captain that knows that".
"And a captain that wants to survive and feed his family would not say No when they ask him to sail such a vessel, even when he knows the documents were not complete", he added.
Explaining why the merchant navy directorate facilitated the release of the two seafarers, Capt Alfred said the Directorate took it upon itself as a responsibility.
"The case of the imprisoned seafarers takes a lot of legal process which costs a lot of money, so we are taking them one after the other, we would get as many as we can out of prison" , he assured.
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