The Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has said that plans are ongoing to deal with individuals that parade themselves as Merchant Navy officers, even as it has also announced the setting up of a task force to ensure that the illicit act is brought to the barest minimum.
The seafaring body has also stressed that any other identity card apart from the one issued by the association should be seen as fake.
The Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has said that plans are ongoing to deal with individuals that parade themselves as Merchant Navy officers, even as it has also announced the setting up of a task force to ensure that the illicit act is brought to the barest minimum.
The seafaring body has also stressed that any other identity card apart from the one issued by the association should be seen as fake.
Speaking to Shipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday, National President of the association, Engineer Matthew Alalade said that following the security challenges in the nation, there is the need to monitor and control the usage of the uniform.
Alalade who spoke on behalf the National Executive Council (NEC) of the merchant navy outfit said that the body is not in support of members abusing their uniforms, adding that most individuals that parade the streets with the uniforms are fake.
He warned members of the society to be vigilant on use of their head gear even as he solicited support and cooperation from all the Nigerian security agencies to tackle the challenges of abuse of the uniform.
He also disclosed that the Central Working Committee (CWC) which is the apex body of the association is working aggressively with National Executive Council (NEC) to set a task force committee to tackle the challenges.
According to him, the Nigerian Merchant gave birth to Nigerian Navy as part of effort to protect merchant vessels from pirate and sea robbery attack at sea pointing out that the association is not in contention with the navy of protecting the territorial waters and waterways of the nation.
Speaking further to clarify the issue of the said uniform, the merchant navy boss stressed that "our officers uses emblem with black background in diamond form,our cap badge carries gold and silver eagle on the crest ,our uniform buttons carries anchor only,our officers uses gadget with blue background and our merchant navy uniform carries the inscription Merchant Navy on top of the breast pocket"
Also speaking at the NEC meeting, Assistant Secretary General of the association, Comrade John Okpono said there has been a cordial relationship between the Nigerian navy and the merchant navy adding that individuals that parades themselves as navy is the major problem which needs urgent attention.
He said that anyone without the new identity card of the association must be discarded because the association is the only body gazetted by law.
He added that the merchant navy is not regimental outfit but the fake guys go about parading themselves as an enforcement body of the government.
Okpono also added that the training of members do not go beyond the normal par al-military drills adding that they are not entitled to carry arms.
According to him, merchant navy is a discipline and certificate oriented profession.
On his part, Training Commander of the association, Yakubu Emmanuel said the body has a role to play and that in addition to the task force which is in the pipeline, there will be consistent training of members.
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