Operators in the maritime industry have alarmed that the Nigeria risk being sanctioned by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), should it continue with its plans to concession of the nation's maritime domain.
Operators in the maritime industry have alarmed that the Nigeria risk being sanctioned by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), should it continue with its plans to concession of the nation's maritime domain.
The operators who made their position known at a recent one day programme that was put together by the Maritime Reporters' Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Lagos, noted that there is no where in the world where the security of any nation's maritime domain is handled by a private firm as it is being proposed by the Nigerian government represented by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The agency recently signed a contract for what it called the strategic concessioning partnership between it and a private firm; Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria Limited (GWVSNL) to provide platform for Tracking Ships and Cargoes, Enforce Regulatory Compliance and Surveillance of the Entire Nigerian Maritime Domain.
Reacting to the contract, the National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, condemned the deal, even as he asked whether the project was advertised and further demanded: “must everything be in secrecy?
Predicting that the concession arrangement cannot fly, he wondered why the maritime industry is the attraction of all sorts of experimentation, apparently because NIMASA is one of the richest government organizations, explaining that what NIMASA Act says was to collaborate with federal, state or other government organizations that have experience in the venture.
On his part, the Chairman of Ports Consultative Council (PCC), Otunba Kunle Folarin lampooned what he called “a conscious laziness in execution of mandates of government agencies.”
Folarin noted that if the government agencies are tired of executing their mandates, they should acknowledge it for the Act that set them up to be addressed. Lamenting the ugly dimension the issue of PPP is taking in the national economy, Folarin, said if the agencies of government were tired of their mandates provided by the law, they should so acknowledge so that amendment could be made to the Act establishing them.
“I wonder whether the National Assembly, under its oversight functions is looking at implementation of Acts passed into law and not only to look at budget passed. If there is infringement on the Act, NASS should be the first to blow the whistle.” He said.
Already, there is an infringement on the sovereign right, Folarin stated, adding that the concession by NIMASA was enough infringement stating that the agency should have a rethink about the venture.
Former president of the Nigeria Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), CAPTAIN Johnson Ogun punched holes in the rationale behind the award of a maritime security contract to a private firm, pointing out that the IMO, which deals with safety of life at sea, does not deal with private firms but the state, which is why there is port state and flag state control.
“Any serious government should be able to fund its organizations that look at safety and security and not leave it in the hands of a private firm under whatever guise,” Ogun said.
Captain Ogun said NIMASA cannot concession to a private firm that IMO will recognize because it cannot operate in isolation from other members of the world body. He queried why stakeholders where not consulted before embarking on the contract, noting that port state and flag state controls are government jobs and not to be handled by private firms that has no obligation to government.
“I advise all reasoning people to advice government to revoke this contract because it will make this country a laughing stock.”
The resultant effect, he added, will be the diversion of ships to ports of neighbouring countries leading to a monumental loss of ship and cargo traffic and loss of revenue for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as well as result in high cost of goods in the market as importers will increase cost.
NIMASA has however explained that the concession was not designed for it to cede its functions of maritime safety to any body but designed solely to take off responsibility of moving men and materials and maintaining platforms to a firm vast in such jobs.
Representative of director general of NIMASA at the talkshop, Rex Alem, who is the head of public private partnership unit of the agency, stated that GWVSNL was contracted to supply NIMASA with platforms of certain specifications for its officials because NIMASA has not been responsible in maintaining its fleet of vessels; “We don’t have the competence to manage vessels,” he said.
The contract also involves providing crew on board the platforms including wages and maintenance as well as making the vessels available and in good condition at all times throughout the period of the concession.
The command and control of the vessels, Alem argued, resides exclusively with NIMASA, pointing out that the agency’s failed attempts to enforce maritime security in the past, which has resulted in the spate of piracy and illegal activities on the nation’s territorial waters, made the agency to arrive at a PPP arrangement with the private firm.
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