A BRAND NEW MARITIME INDUSTRY THAT CAN BE COMPARED WITH THE BEST GLOBALLY IS OUR TARGET— JAMOH
*** presents his administration’s scorecard for 2021
***Pledges commitment to staff welfare
*** Unveils plans for establishment of skill acquisition centers in the six geopolitical zones
By Mcanthony Onuoha
The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has said that the desire of his administration is to build a brand new Maritime industry that can be compared with the best internationally.
Presenting his 2021 scorecard to Maritime Journalists in a media parley organized by NIMASA on Friday 28th of January, 2022, at the agency’s Boardroom, Jamoh said that actualizing the dream of a brand new Maritime industry was possible
.
The NIMASA Director General who expressed sadness over the continued rejection of the Nigerian seafarers by indigenous ship owners and their international counterparts, said that his office decided to commence thorough check on incidences of forgery of Nigerian certificates so as to enhance the employment of Nigerian seafarers in the Maritime sector; adding that the agency has reactivated the online Seafarers Certificate of Competency Verification Platform and that it has so far, drastically reduced forgery of Nigerian Certificates.
In his words,” we have been experiencing rejection as well as discrimination against the Nigerian seafarers by ship owners both locally and internationally, and the agency decided to introduce online Seafarers Certificate of Competency Verification Platform which allows you as a ship owner to access those candidates that passed examinations directly from the comfort of their offices on their computers. And with this, we intend to reduce and eliminate the forgery of our own certificates and improve the standard and confidence in our certification”. Jamoh said.
The DG, who disclosed that a total of two hundred and forty- six (246) certificates were revalidated in 2021 also notified journalists that a total of eight hundred and twenty nine (829) officers cadre sat for the examination out of which two hundred and sixty -four(264) officers amounting 32 % percent passed, while a total of five hundred and sixty-five (565) candidates amounting 68 percent failed.
On International Maritime Organization (IMO), and Nigeria’s inability to attain certain elective positions, the Director General told the media that Nigeria is presently the Secretary General of Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa; saying that every individual has people who dislike everything about him and those who cherish him and all that he does. And that he said, is the case with Nigeria. ” You don’t force people to like you neither do you force people to hate you, naturally, there are those who hate to hear anything about Nigeria. But even if this regime does not take Nigeria Maritime industry to its rightful position, we will make sure we put machineries in place that will take Nigeria to higher level”. He assured .
On facilities ,Jamoh disclosed that his administration has opened operational offices across the country, one of such is the Lokoja office which he said can harness the resources that are available in inland waterways, stating that his administration will no longer condone renting of facilities and landlords’ harassment of an agency like NIMASA. ” In the year 2022, we are saying goodbye to rented facilities, we will provide offices at all levels, open skill acquisition centers in the six geopolitical zones so that our youths who are not privileged to get conventional education shall be trained on how to be useful to themselves so that they don’t rely on government for employment.”
On wrecks removal, the DG said that the exercise would be carried out in two phases . Badagry- TinCan axis, he said, has already commenced and is in advanced stage, and also in line are the Western zone sail, the Eastern zone and the Southern zone saying that the agency has already placed the project before the ministry of Transportation for onward transmission to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for consideration and approval, expressing belief that in no distant feature, his administration would be able to attest to a symbolic achievement in the first quarter of 2022.
Continuing, Jamoh said, ” since the inception of this administration, we have conducted inspection on some of our facilities that have not been in use over a long period, and we shall put them in order as we won’t leave any of our facilities moribund.”
On Staff welfare, the DG said that the agency has introduced a new salary structure, “we have completed the process and it is in the final leg with the Presidential Committee at the Federal Ministry of Finance, and l believe , our staff will soon be rejoicing for salary increment . We are providing a better working environment for our workers; we are committed to a brand new Maritime industry that can be compared with other Maritime countries across the globe.”
