Maritime
Nigerian Maritime Workers Union threatens to close down Ports
LAGOS-The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria has threatened to shut down the nation’s seaport if the Nigeria Port Authority [NPA] and the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA] fail to address illegal activities by multinationals on the nation’s territorial waters.
President General of [MWUN] Comrade Anthony Nted Emmanuel made the threat at a fund raising event of late comrade Isa Ibrahim Salem in Lagos earlier today.
Nigerian Workers
Nted vowed that if the maritime agencies do not ensure that Nigerian dockworkers and seafarers are gainfully employed at the ports, the the union will rise to the occasion and shut down the port.
He warned shipping companies and multinationals that ‘’any vessels that is coming into the country should come directly to the conventional ports and any vessels that do not come directly to the ports is going against the Ministry of Transport of the country which is a break of law’’.
He further stressed that ‘’any time that the we notice multinational discharging offshore and the Nigeria Port Authority and Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA] do not address the issue of the illegalities we are going to shutdown the ports’’
The MWUN boss also lamented the activities of multinational companies saying that they have rendered most of the union members jobless. He added that the country is also losing huge revenues that ought to go into government’s coffers.
According to him, the illegalities on the nation’s coastline by the multinational has also made the Nigerian seafarers to run out of being gainfully employed adding that most of the problem in the industry is as a result of the shady deals conducted by shipping companies.
He called on the federal government to live up to their responsibilities otherwise the ports will alongside all operational activities will be shut down.
In his words, he said,’’the illegal activities have deprived dockworkers from performing their duty and also the Nigeria seafarers are suffering nobody is addressing the situation and as it is if the federal government do not meet up with their responsibility we are going to run a zig zag port which means we will close the port down and that is a promise’’.
‘’We are talking about unemployment ,the maritime industry is also talking about unemployment because vessels are not coming into the ports but what we are seeing in the industry is an eye-sore especially with the shipping companies on offshore ,whereby they offload midstream and run away is a big problem that needs urge attention by the federal government.’’ Nted lamented.
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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