• Tuesday, March 19, 2024
businessday logo

BusinessDay

FG vows not to bow as Amaechi declares Safe Anchorage operations as illegal

Chibuike Amaechi

Despite the decision of the Upper House of the National Assembly to approve the existence of Safe Anchorage Area (SAA), operated by Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMSL), after its suspension by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in 2019, Chibuike Amaechi, minister of transportation, has declared SAA operations as illegal.

Speaking with newsmen in Lagos on Monday on the progress made on the execution of the Deep Blue project after meeting with heads of agencies in the transport ministry organised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Amaechi said the Secured Anchorage operation was suspended because “it was criminal and illegal to create anchorage for purpose of providing security, which ordinarily should be the responsibility of the government.

“I took the decision to stop the Safe Anchorage contract and not Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of the NPA, because an individual cannot protect a country. It shows that there was a failure in the system,” he said.

According to him, the Federal Government has secured some security assets to tackle insecurity on the Nigerian waterways, even as he assured stakeholders that the government was working to address the issues of insecurity on the Nigerian waterways.

READ ALSO: NBBF, Nigerians mourn FIBA Hall of Famer, Sangodeyi

In the next few months, he stated, the issues of insecurity on Nigerian waters will be reduced, if not eradicated.

“You will agree with us that there was an upsurge of insecurity in the country and its becoming a bit alarming, I do not know how many of you can remember in 2016, we secured the approval of both Mr. President and the cabinet to introduce a maritime architecture, which is coming to fruition,” he explained.

Amaechi further said that the Israelis that were given the project will train Nigerians while the manning of the security assets would be done by Nigerian Navy, Army and police.

“Though, it is within the domain of the Nigerian Navy to protect the waters, but we wanted other members of the armed forces to give them some support until we completely arrest the situation, before they can withdraw and allow the Navy to takeover,” he added.

On his part, Dakuku Peterside, director general of NIMASA said that with the arrival of some interceptor vessels, insecurity will be reduced. He assured that 80 percent of the gadgets will arrive before the end of June this year.

“First, let me correct the impression by saying that we’re not handing over our waterways to be manned by Israelis. They will provide assets and train those who will man those assets on our waterways,” he said.

According to him, six interceptor boats are in the country while the first special mission vessel came into the country in December last year, and the second special mission vessel will be in the country this February.

He hinted that the first special mission aircraft will be in the country before the end of the first quarter of this year, adding that six armoured vehicles were in the country already while the first unmanned area vehicles will come in between now and the end of February.

“In terms of helicopters, we expect the first helicopter to be brought in before the end of first quarter of this year. Those are some of the assets that we have on ground. But the second mission vehicle will come this February,” he said

According to him, six armoured personnel carriers with fitted in communication gadgets are in the country already.