Since the unfortunate, but preventable accident involving MT Tank, MT Elixir Accident in which eight crewmen died, and only one survivor, there have been arguments as to what went wrong and who should or shouldn’t have done something.
But in all the arguments that have erupted post-accident, the name of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has been constant. This is obviously because it is the nation’s agency that is saddled with responsibility for maritime safety and security.
There was little information about the accident, which occurred on October 19, 2015, until a clear four days later when NIMASA issued a statement in which it claimed that it rescued three crewmen from one of the ships involved in the accident.
Surprisingly, NIMASA was silent on the dangerous state of those who were trapped in the tanker and buried about 1500 metres deep in the sea.
The Mt Tank (IMO No. 8681460) is a Nigerian owned, Liberia flagged vessel, which the second tanker Mt Elixir (IMO No. 9282510) is a foreign vessel. The duo collided about 65 miles ashore, and just about 10 nautical miles south west of the Bonga FPSO near Warri.
Not only did it take NIMASA days to announce the accident, it was also initially interested in claiming credit for the rescue of three crewmen.
In its statement on the accident, NIMASA claimed that its personnel were responsible for the rescue of the crewmen. It shamelessly said: “Search and Rescue personnel of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have rescued three crew members and recovered one body…”
Not done, NIMASA went further in its deceit to say that: “Divers and other rescue personnel are still at the site of the incident where eight crew members of MT. Tank appear to have been trapped. Preliminary reports show that the incident occurred at about 12 midnight on Monday 19th October 2015 and that MT Tank got broken in the process and took in water”.
It was to admit later that, it was actually the service boats belonging to Addax Petroleum and Shell Nigeria which were close to the location of the accident that actually rescued the three surviving crew before NIMASA boats got there and took the lucky three away for medical treatment.
Since the accident, NIMASA has been at loggerheads with stakeholders who queried its decision to allow the second ship; MT Elixr to sail out of the country.
NIMASA had while announcing that the tanker had been allowed to sail out of the nation’s shores, explained that it acted in consonance with all relevant international conventions and that the ship’s owners had promised to cooperate with the agency.
It is however baffling that NIMASA has chosen to ‘fight’ all those who have disagreed with its handling of MT Elixir’s case.
Notable and knowledgeable master mariners have faulted NIMASA. The President of Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA); Capt Olaniyi Labinjo also recently lampooned the management of NIMASA for its decision to release the MT Elixir.
They faulted NIMASA’s handling of search and rescue. This position was also shared by relatives of the missing crew.
If NIMASA had deployed its equipment and personnel to the accident scene on time, some of the crew who are still missing (but presumably dead) would have been saved.
NIMASA’s excuse that its search and rescue efforts were hampered by the fact that the ship was 1500metres deep in the sea, so no diver can reach it is unacceptable.
The admittance of its inability to offer any rescue is a further confirmation of its management’s incompetence.
It is either NIMASA is not aware of the fact that search and rescue has gone beyond deployment of divers or it was not interested in rescuing the crewmen.
As a maritime administration, we are sure that NIMASA is aware that it can secure the services of devices such as Remote Operated Vehicles to go to any depth to rescue those that were trapped.
It is saddening that after muddling up the rescue efforts, the agency also allowed the ship that allegedly caused the accident and the death of eight Nigerian seafarers to sail out.
From our investigations, NIMASA has a record of such actions. On 21st of December 2013 a foreign tanker; MT Niki C was involved in an accident with a Nigerian tanker; MT Charon.
Two Nigerian crew were reportedly killed in the accident, and in manner similar to what it did recently, the foreign tanker was allowed to sail out of the country, and till date, no investigation was carried out by NIMASA. If there was any, the result wasn’t made public and no one was prosecuted.
Unlike MT Niki C, the current case involving MT Tank and MT Elixir must not be swept under the carpet, but we are not very optimistic that justice will be done. We wish to be proven wrong by NIMASA.
The manner in which it responded, the way it handled the post-accident issues between the two ships and their owners, and most importantly, its coldness towards the families of the seafarers who died, have only made NIMASA less popular (again) among its immediate publics.
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