Monday’s seafarers’ day celebrations by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Warri Delta state was almost marred when irate leader of the seamen branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) which accused officials of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency of running and managing manning agencies to the detriment of recognized crewmen in Nigeria.
Monday’s seafarers’ day celebrations by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Warri Delta state was almost marred when irate leader of the seamen branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) which accused officials of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency of running and managing manning agencies to the detriment of recognized crewmen in Nigeria.
The seafarers alleged that most of the manning agencies in the Niger Delta region of the country are owned by the officials of NIMASA who in turn engage their unqualified and untrained relations to work on board ships.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting to celebrate the World seafarers' day in Warri on Monday, Deputy President General of MWUN, Comrade Henry Odey warned the officials involved in such activities saying that, “the reaction of the Union will be unpalatable if the trend continues”.
Odey also scored NIMASA low in the area of employment of seafarers, saying that NIMASA is so particular about the training of seafarers while it is neglecting the employment of the trained seafarers on ground.
“Those of who run manning agencies, you know yourselves, we are appealing to you to desist from such activities before it is too late.
“NIMASA is so particular about training, what has it done with the ones that have trained so far”, the MUWN deputy President General queried.
He alleged also that the union has made several attempts to see the Director General of the agency, but has not been successful to pin him down to a meeting.
Speaking in similar vein, another official of the union, Comrade Goodtime Okoro explained that out of more 5,000 seafarers that are currently without job placement only a hundred of them have been engaged through the efforts of the union.
Okoro further explained that whenever issues affecting seafarers are reported to NIMASA, they are not given attention.
The seafarers opined that there is a cabal within the agency that is working to undermine the growth and progress of the Nigerian seafarers.
He noted that NIMASA does not have a pool for crew men but, added that some unnamed individuals have seafarers' pools from where crew are engaged.
He stated “Those who have the agency's permit to manage these private pools are actually officials of NIMASA.
“If you know what is going on, you will find that NIMASA's pools are not working and this development has given the foreigners the opportunity to come into coastal waters to make money” he lamented.
Discussion about this post