Vessel owners in Nigeria have alleged that piracy and boarding of crude oil tankers by armed gangs never abated despite the contract signed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Messer Global West Vessel Specialist Limited.
The shipowners who spoke with Shipping Position Daily under anonymity claimed that throughout the duration of the contract, no single pirate was apprehended, prosecuted and convicted by NIMASA.
Vessel owners in Nigeria have alleged that piracy and boarding of crude oil tankers by armed gangs never abated despite the contract signed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Messer Global West Vessel Specialist Limited.
The shipowners who spoke with Shipping Position Daily under anonymity claimed that throughout the duration of the contract, no single pirate was apprehended, prosecuted and convicted by NIMASA.
Another operator, a ship engineer called for the Nigerian Navy to be empowered with necessary platforms by the Federal Government, and that the Navy should be separated from commercial maritime affairs.
The shipowners claimed that up till date, tanker vessels belonging to indigenous shipowners and international oil companies and crew are still constantly being harassed and their vessels boarded by pirates on Nigerian waters.
"When Global West was there, they never arrested any pirates; it is not enough to provide platforms without actions, for the five years they did the job, the people using the platforms never arraigned a single pirate"
"Do you know how many times Nigerians were suffering kidnapping and ship boarding on this coast? NIMASA is not to be reported to; rather they should be reporting to somebody, the contract is of no use"
"Empower navy with platforms to enable them perform their duties and take Navy out of maritime services" he said
Our source argued that the navy has no business delving into maritime activities and that maritime should be left for commercial operators to run.
He also recalled that in 2011 Global West Vessel Specialist Limited allegedly donated "some rickety flying boats and said they donated it to NIMASA, none of them can be seen, where are they now, are they still in NIMASA inventory? And all the platforms they bought, who are the owners? ,he asked.
The shipowners lamented that Global West under NIMASA was given a contract to police the waters of Nigeria on a five years contract while Nigerian vessels and crew are still being attacked on daily basis.
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