The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has commenced clampdown on vessels that do not comply with the provisions of the Cabotage Compliance Strategy (CCS) introduced by the agency in 2018 to ease the implementation of the Cabotage Act 2003 in Nigeria.
Dakuku Peterside, director-general of NIMASA, said the agency will no longer encourage the application of any form of waiver under the Cabotage Act, particularly from the oil firms operations because such does not help the growth of the Nigerian maritime sector and economy at large.
“Our laws forbid foreign vessels operating in our territorial waters that do not comply with the Cabotage Act. There shall be no sacred cows when we commence clampdown on erring vessels. We want to increase the number of Nigerians participating in the marine business. We are working closely with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to have a joint categorisation of vessels operating under the Cabotage Act,” Peterside said.
A statement by Isichei Osamgbi, head, Corporate Communications, NIMASA, said that a detention order for a motor tanker, MT Navigator Capricorn, which is a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) carrier, has been approved for contravening sections of the Act.
“The statement said that the vessel was first boarded in October 2018 and all infractions of Cabotage non-compliance were noted and communicated accordingly to the charterer/owners with a 90-day grace period to comply. The 90 days expired on the 31st January 2019. It is noteworthy that owners made undertaking to remedy the notable infractions when the vessel was issued a detention warning in October 2018,” Osamgbi said.
According to him, MT Navigator Capricorn has been moved to Lagos Anchorage to allow space for other LPG vessels to discharge at the NOJ Jetty.
Recall that the NIMASA DG had led members of his team to meet with the Oil Producers Trade Sector (OPTS) in Lagos, where he urged industry players to draw up a 5-year strategic plan for the cessation of application for Cabotage waiver and also pursue the utilisation of Nigerian-owned vessels for marine contracts.
The essence was to ensure that Nigerians are not deprived of the jobs due them on showing requisite qualifications for the job.
The Agency via a Marine Notice suspended considerations for applications of waiver on manning for some categories of officers in vessels engaged in Cabotage trade. The Agency no longer considers application for grant of waiver on manning requirements for vessels engaged in coastal trade with regards to second officer, second engineer, second mate, down to able seamen, ratings and stewards.
However, special applications for captains, chief engineers, chief officers, first mate, in the absence of qualified Nigerians, are considered on merit, but on the condition that such firm makes plan to train a Nigerian as transition plan to ensure that a Nigerian takes over the job within one year.
Amaka Anagor-Ewuzie
