The Commander, NNS Victory, Nigerian Navy, Calabar, Navy Cdr. James Oluwole, last week said that the command would not tolerate any violation of rules guiding shipping operations within its area.
Oluwole gave the warning in Calabar at a meeting with operators, security operatives in the Port and ship agents on the detention of a vessel, MV Anamaria.
He said that the vessel came in from Cameroun without proper clearance.
He said that the unruly behaviour of some ship operators would henceforth not be tolerated.
The Commander, NNS Victory, Nigerian Navy, Calabar, Navy Cdr. James Oluwole, last week said that the command would not tolerate any violation of rules guiding shipping operations within its area.
Oluwole gave the warning in Calabar at a meeting with operators, security operatives in the Port and ship agents on the detention of a vessel, MV Anamaria.
He said that the vessel came in from Cameroun without proper clearance.
He said that the unruly behaviour of some ship operators would henceforth not be tolerated.
Oluwole said that the actions of the operators were causing embarrassment to Nigeria and stressed that all the port users must obey the operational guidelines.
“We will not allow Nigeria to be embarrassed because of actions and attitudes of some people who are not ready to listen to instructions.
“And I am saying it in the presence of all of you now that this is the last time such will be tolerated.
“Anyone who works against our instruction will incur our wrath, ‘’ he warned.
Oluwole said that the navy was able to curtail criminality along the Calabar waterways in the past three months because of the stringent security measures put in place.
He said that the Nigerian Navy had an escort squad that provided necessary security for ships coming and going out of Nigerian waters.
He described the action of the ship captain as capable of derailing the efforts of the navy.
“What happened today is a clear violation of the strategies we have put in place. And I have been directed to detain this vessel till tomorrow morning, ‘’ he said.
In his reaction, the Calabar Area Manager of National Inland Waterways Authority, Mr Olawale Adetola, said that there was a need for ship operators in the port to obey instructions.
“It is a matter of obeying simple instructions, ‘’ he said
Adetola cautioned them to guard against violating laid down guidelines in their own interest.
The driver of the 54 passenger vessel that he decided to ignore the navy gunboat because they it failed to respond early.
“When I called the navy gunboat, they told me that they will call me back later, but they did not, ‘’ he said.
The agent to the ship, Mr Joseph Jerome confirmed that the waterways had been secured without any form of criminality since January.
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