INTER- AGENCY COLLABORATION VERY KEY FOR MARITIME SAFETY —JAMOH
By Mcanthony Onuoha
Inter- agency collaboration has been identified as very critical in the sustainance of efforts towards curbing criminal activities in the Nigerian territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir JAMOH, OFR, made the assertion when he hosted the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) boss, Major General Barry Ndiomu (Rtd.) at the headquarters of the Agency in Lagos.
The NIMASA DG commended the Amnesty chief for the august visit saying that it was timely and a clear call for synergy in order to sustain the tempo of policing the Nigerian waters while actively engaging and empowering the youths on opportunities in the Nigerian maritime sector.
In his words, ” Nigeria has received several commendations from the international community for the visible successes achieved in addressing insecurity in our maritime domain. As such, they are watching to see if we can sustain the tempo hence the Agency’s willingness to partner with the Presidential Amnesty Programme and other relevant bodies”.
Furthermore, the DG notified the Amnesty Interim Administration on the viability of job creation via the Blue Economy, stating that the maritime sector has all that is needed to engage the youths with the aim of discouraging them from indulging in nefarious activities that make the nation’s waterways unsafe.
Jamoh added that, “the Nigerian maritime sector is large enough to sustain and actively engage the soaring youths population as there are enormous opportunities in the industry that the teeming youths can take advantage of to generate foreign earnings”.
He further assured of the Agency’s readiness to collaborate with the Presidential Amnesty Programme in reintegrating beneficiaries of the Amnesty programme into the society.
In his remarks, Major General Barry Ndiomu (Rtd), called on NIMASA to fashion out workable and sustainable partnership towards creating opportunities for teeming youths in the Niger Delta region.
Ndiomu further disclosed that the PAP has trained a large number of youths across institutions in the world in various fields, some of which include Deep Sea Diving, Underwater Welding, and Maritime Engineering hence the reason for seeking partnership with the Agency to engage them actively on maritime related ventures.
However, the Amnesty chief seized the opportunity to notify the DG of his agenda for the Amnesty programme. In his words, “my vision is to chart a new path for the Amnesty Programme by upholding the principal objectives of government by bringing innovative ideas, setting a new Management structure of wealth creation for the teeming youths instead of depending on monthly stipends, to pave way for a more prosperous future. We are looking at technical support from NIMASA and job placement opportunities in the Agency for our qualified delegates.”
The Retired General also commended the DG and his team for redefining the safety and security of Nigeria’s Maritime Industry. “I am aware of your outstanding achievements, particularly in the obvious reduction of piracy on the Gulf of Guinea”.
Recall that the Blue Economy Mantra has continually been part of the campaign under Jamoh-led administration in NIMASA, which is aimed at educating the public on the ideals of the Blue Economy while guiding the Federal Government to make policies around the mantra.
The core essence of the Blue Economy is to preserve the resources in the oceans towards ensuring sustainability wealth creation and by extension, job creation aimed at curbing insecurity in the country while also reducing overreliance on crude oil that is fast depreciating in value across the globe.
