The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will soon take a decision on the abandoned floating dock in Sapele Port, which has been there for more than six years.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Board of Directors of NIMASA on Tuesday led by Retired Maj.-Gen. Jonathan Garba, visited the port and took a closer look at the abandoned floating dock.
NAN reports that a floating dock is a structure that can be submerged to permit the entry and docking of a ship and then raised to lift the ship from the water for repairs.
The Sapele port is being used by the Nigerian Navy Engineering College.
NAN learnt that the floating dock has been idle at the port since 2010 and draining much of NIMASA’s funds to maintain.
The same floating dock was publicly noticed at the Marina waterfront near the C.M.S. Bus stop in Lagos Island about 12 years ago and reported to be disturbing navigation.
Industry operators consisting of seafarers, dockworkers, master mariners, ship owners and maritime journalists were eager then to know the owners of the floating dock.
The Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development in NIMASA, Mr Oluwarotimi Fashakin, said that a Marine Notice was issued for the owners of the floating dock to show up but nobody showed up till today.
According to Fashakin, NIMASA will take a decision on it.
“The board members have seen it. Various levels of consultations are needed to arrive at the best decision.
“Is a good thing that the board members have clear visibility of the floating dock,’’ the executive director told NAN.
He said that NIMASA had spent a lot of money maintaining the floating dock.
Fashakin said, “I hope it will not be too long before a firm decision is taken on this.’’
The Head of Cabotage Department of NIMASA in Sapele, Delta, Mr Ali Alfa told the board members that the aim and objectives of the department was to sensitise indigenous vessel owners on cabotage operations
Alfa said the department was interfacing with other sister government agencies like Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Navy.
He, however, said the staff in the officer need operational vehicles to carry out their operations effectively.
The Port Service Controller of Delta Port, Mr Alexandria Mallam said that the port was primarily assigned with the responsibility of revenue generation through the 3 per cent levy on gross freight.
Mallam said the office achieved this through monitoring of shipping activities in Delta ports (Warri Old & News Port, Refinery Port, Oghara Port, Sapele Port, Koko Port and others.
He noted that operational activities of the office included daily port patrol; processing of ship sailing certificate; and reconciliation of ship traffic, cargo tonnage and revenue generated.
Mallam also mentioned public enlightenment and shipping promotion as well as operational reports.
He, however, said that on wet cargo the Warri port office recorded 21.35 million dollars in 2016 compared to 28.49 million recorded in 2015.
Mallam said that the office also recorded 838,580 dollars on dry cargo in 2016, in contrast to 1.25 million dollars generated in 2016.
He attributed the shortfalls to global declining oil prices and foreign exchange restriction placed on 41 items.
The Warri Zonal Coordinator of NIMASA, Mr Abel Gbendor, said “the safety building of the agency needs urgent attention’’.
Gbendor said that NIMASA staff at the Escravos office at Oporoza had been displaced by unknown people and the “office is no longer accessible’’.
“In spite of the challenges, the zone is doing its best with staff working hard to enforce compliance by shipping companies, ’’ Gbendor said.
NAN reports that all the officers stressed the need for bigger office spaces.
The chairman of the Board said he was happy that the Navy granted the aboard the permission to inspect the floating dock.
He said that the Board came for the first time since its inauguration in Sept 2016 to inspect the facilities at the Eastern Zonal operational areas of NIMASA.
“We have come to know your problems and how you are functioning.
“We have taken note of your challenges including lack of operational vehicles but government expects a lot from you.
“We want to ensure that your entitlements in the area of promotions are covered.
“If you were not promoted in the last exercise, that should not dampen your spirit as you will benefit this year,’’ Garba said.
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