Maritime
Nigerian Maritime body acquires four 1,200 horse power boats
As part of efforts to enhance the fulfillment of its core mandate, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) todaytook delivery of four 1,200Horse Power engine boats to be used in policing the Nigerian waterways.
Each of the boats namely; NIMASA Lagos, NIMASA Portharcourt, NIMASA Burutu and NIMASA Warri were said to have been acquired by Global West Vessel Specialist Limited as part of the subsisting Memorandum of Understanding that currently exists between the company and the apex maritime regulatory agency.
The four newly acquire boats are bullet prove and they each carry a 300Horse Power that can run 50nautical miles per hour.
Taking delivery of the boats at the Regional Search and Rescue Center in Kirikiri Lagos today, Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Ziakede Akpobolokemi explained that the acquisition of the boats is to enable NIMASA to go back to fulfilling its mandate which is maritime security and ensuring a pollution marine free environment.
“we want to perform our statutory obligations, what the NIMASA Act told us to do is what we want to practicalize, from environment to safety, from safety to security and so on, our mandate is to provide safe marine environment, secure marine environment and a pollution free marine environment” he stressed
According to the NIMASA boss, government alone cannot solve the problem of piracy due to the paperwork and the bureaucracy that projects of this nature are usually subjected to, he said that “an agency that is involved in search and rescue operation, that is involved in emergency anytime anywhere must not subscribe to the civil service way of doing things, there should be some creativity”
Mr. Akpobolokemi who was speaking after a test-run exercise of the boats said that there are no vessels in the country or even within the sub-region that can boast of same kinds of patrol boats in terms of speed and the control gadgets.
He assured that more boats with different configurations are expected to come into the country before the end of the year.
“What we have done is to get the private sector to provide these boats and man them while we will work in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy in keeping security and safety and in keeping the environmental laws” he said.
Also speaking after the test-running exercise, the Managing Director of Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, Capt. Romeo Itima explained that the vessels are made of outboard engines for quick deploy in cases where they might have to be repaired.
He explained that the boats are customarily built and are bullet proved. He however refused to declare the total cost of the boats.
According to Capt. Itima, each of the boats has tank capacity for 1,500 liters of petrol and can equally go 200meters without refueling. He explained that each of the boats that are meant for Portharcourt and Warri will be deployed immediately in order to cover these zones.
The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has deposited three Instruments of Accession to IMO Conventions signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the global body.
He did so on Tuesday, at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which acts as the repository for these conventions.
This move, coming a few weeks after Nigeria declared its intention to contest election for a seat on the IMO Council, is expected to enhance Nigeria’s maritime governance and align its practices with international standards, promoting maritime safety, security, and environmental protection.
Shortly after the presentation ceremonies, Oyetola informed the IMO Secretary General, Arsenio Dominguez, of the President’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria aligns with international maritime standards regarding maritime safety, security, and sustainable marine practices.
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He also called on the IMO to extend technical support to Nigeria.
In his words, “These instruments, duly acceded by His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, signify Nigeria’s continued commitment to aligning with international maritime standards, ensuring maritime safety and security, and promoting sustainable marine practices.
“We hereby request tailored technical cooperation under the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) to enhance Nigeria’s compliance with IMO conventions and improve our maritime governance and implementation of the instruments we submitted today.”
On his part, Dominguez, acknowledged with appreciation the formal deposition of the Instruments of Accession, stating that it underscores Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to aligning with global maritime standards.
“I congratulate Nigeria for its exceptional efforts in acceding to these six critical IMO instruments. I encourage continued momentum by securing presidential assent to additional key conventions. We at the IMO remains fully committed to supporting Nigeria through technical cooperation and capacity-building initiatives to ensure the successful implementation of these instruments,” he stated.
The instruments Oyetola handed over to Dominguez include the instrument of accession to the 2005 Protocol to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (SUA Protocol 2005), the instrument of accession to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F), and the instrument of accession to the Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Pollution by Substances Other Than Oil (Intervention Protocol 1973).
It was gathered that three other Instruments of Accession signed by President Tinubu are undergoing further steps to complete the processes for their deposit.
Funds accrued under the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) are intact and currently held with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Single Treasury Account (TSA).
This assertion was made by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday.
The clarification became necessary to address “a misleading publication alleging that funds have disappeared from the CVFF account”.
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The statement reads, in part, “The report of a missing money is both misleading and false.
“For the record, the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, securely held in the NIMASA account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), remains intact. There has been no disappearance of funds, and no illegal transactions, as the article suggests. This misinformation is a figment of the authors imagination, aimed at undermining NIMASA’s integrity, and mislead the public about the Agency’s operations.
“The Management of NIMASA will ensure that the CVFF is utilised in line with its statutory purpose. NIMASA Director General, Dr Mobereola has assured stakeholders of the safety of funds under the CVFF.”
The statement cited the DG thus, “Let us be clear that the CVFF account at the Central Bank of Nigeria is safe, intact, and secure. We at NIMASA will continue to manage it with the utmost responsibility, and there are no irregularities or illegal activities surrounding the funds. I urge the public to disregard this false narrative and to continue trusting the Agency’s ability to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s maritime sector”.
It was gathered that the CVFF is a fund established under section 42 of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 to promote the development of indigenous ship acquisition capacity and to provide credit facilities to local maritime operators.
The NIMASA, assured of its commitment “to transparency, accountability, and the advancement of Nigeria’s maritime sector.”
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo appears eager to deliver the dividends of democracy to his constituents.
This is discernible from the frenzy of activities being witnessed in his first few days on the job, including dissolution of boards, constitution of investigative panels, flagging off of infrastructure projects, among others.
In the bid to address the perennial road traffic congestion negatively impacting economic and social activities in Benin City, the state capital, Gov Okpebholo on Wednesday flagged off the construction of a flyover bridge.
Biztellers reports that the flyover bridge around the popular Ramat Park in the city centre is the first of such in the history of Edo State.
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The Edo State Government made the disclosure in its verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Wednesday.
It wrote, “Traffic decongestion: Gov Okpebholo flags off first flyover in Edo.
“Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo has flagged off the construction of a flyover bridge at Ramat Park, Benin City, the State Capital, as part of immediate efforts to reduce traffic congestion in the city.”
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