A cross section of seafarers have lamented the arrest without trial of some of their colleagues in connection with the recent attack on a boat belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in which the managing director of Global West Vessel Specialist; Capt Romeo Itima was killed.
A cross section of seafarers have lamented the arrest without trial of some of their colleagues in connection with the recent attack on a boat belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in which the managing director of Global West Vessel Specialist; Capt Romeo Itima was killed.
They urged the executive of the association to address the recent arrest of some seafarers who were caught by NIMASA in connection with the death of Captain Romeo Itima’s,, adding that the regulatory agency ought to investigate the killers of the former Managing Director of Global West Vessels Specialist Limited rather for them to be detained with Economic and Financial Crime Commission [EFFC] indefinitely.
Those currently were recently paraded by NIMASA, which alleged that the seafarers were culpable in the circumstance that led to the death of the Captain at the Escravos in Delta state in August this year.
In a related demonstration of boiling discontent, some of the seafarers also called on the former President of the Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, Captain Thomas Kemewerigha to allow the incumbent President; Engineer Mathew Alalade to perform his statutory duty as the new leader of the association.
According to them, the new president of the association is more like a ceremonial head who has not been able to take the bull by the horn to fight for seafarers to achieve a common goal due to the actions of his predecessor.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the former president and his successor have not been on the same page on some issues, especially those that concerns NIMASA and seafarers certification.
The seafarers lamented that the former president has been fronting for the association to ensure that his decision is binding on members, which according to them is not supposed to be.
One of the sailors who spoke with our correspondent in Lagos last week, noted that; ‘’we are not duly represented, even when Captain Thomas was the president and it is sad to say that the ex-president is supposed to allow the new president to run the affairs of the association, but that is not what we have at the moment’’.
According to our source who choose be speak under anonymity, seafarers in the country are not duly represented adding that the association is not living up to expectation to address key issues that affect the common seafarers.
He added that the recent visit by officials of the International Transport worker Federation [ITF] was an eye opener, because, according to him, seafarers were not given the opportunity to air their opinions and speak on the challenges that face them, due to ex president autocracy.
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