The Chairman, National Seafarers Welfare Board, Chief Kunle Folarin, has urged the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to focus on seatime training of cadets of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).

DG NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside

Folarin made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos as maritime activities closed on Friday.

He said that lack of sea-time training had been a major challenge since the past 10 years.

The maritime expert said “there is need to revamp human capacity building in NIMASA through the NSDP.’’

He said that NIMASA should be able to review the NSDP under six months.

Folarin, also Chairman, Port Consultative Council of Nigeria (PCCN), said that competent managers were needed in NIMASA.

He said that the nation had a lot of challenges in the Gulf of Guinea, including piracy and maritime security.

“It becomes very imperative that all personnel working in NIMASA must be conversant with international conventions which they should implement.

“The agency (NIMASA) should also generate revenue from the functions it handles.

“Its functions also include international shipping and keeping the water pollution-free,’’ the maritime expert told NAN.

Folarin said that the critical issue of shipping development must be at the fore- front adding that “Nigeria cannot be having up to 5,000 ships calling without partaking in international trade.

In the week under review, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said it would partner with NAN on news dissemination to manage its reputation.

The General Manager, Public Affairs Department of NPA, Capt Ihenacho Ebubeogu, stated this during a courtesy visit to NAN Lagos office.
Ebubeogu said that coming to NAN would rejuvenate the relationship between both organisations.

“We have to buy into the activities of NAN to tell the Nigerian public what we are doing, ’’ the general manager said.

He said that NPA decided to concede the cargo handling aspect of its job to concessionaires in the spirit of Public Private Partnership (PPP) to improve on efficiency.

“It (concession) is tremendously improving port operations and we have the residual function of regulating the concessionaires,’’ NAN quotes Ebubeogu as saying.

“NPA also ensures maritime security, perfection of marine environment, safe movement of vessels, raising revenue and addressing any contingency arising from emergency, ‘’ Ebubeogu said.

In his speech, the Director and Head of Lagos office, Mr Joe Bankole, said that NAN paid a lot of attention to quality of news, legality of news, authenticity and structural compliance with modern grammar.

Bankole said that NAN as the main distributor of news served several clients.

“We tried to sectionalise the Editorial department (desks) to have greater grasp of issues at stake,’’ he said.

The director said that over the years, the agency zeroed in on major beats.

Bankole said that the major beats had now been broken down into Maritime, Health and Gender; Agric and Environment, Education, Tourism, Political, Entertainment and Lifestyle, Science and Technology as well as Defence and Security.

He said the Maritime desk was carved out of the Economic desk because of the importance attached to the maritime sector of the economy.

Bankole said the agency regularly kept clients abreast of the Daily Shipping Position emanating from NPA, adding that the story was of special interest to shippers.

Also during the week under review, the Zonal Coordinator, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone `A’, Assistant Comptroller-General Eporwei Edike, said that the service would reciprocate the support of both Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigerian Air Force (NAF)..

Edike said this during his visits to Immigration Service Zone “A’’ and the Headquarters, Logistics Command, Nigerian Air Force, Lagos.

He commended the support of both NIS and Nigerian Air Force officers who were deployed to some border commands, adding that their support had enabled Customs to achieve numerous successes.

“I was so impressed with the support of Immigration and Air Force when I visited Customs Command at Igbeti, Oyo/Osun, Ogun, Ondo/Ekiti and Seme Commands.

“I have no option than to visit their superior officers and cement the existing relationship among the agencies,’’ he said.

Edike said that Customs could not operate alone without the support of other sisters agencies.

He urged the sister agencies to write for provisional release of their consignments through the head of their particular commands, to avoid delay in clearing their equipment.

“This Pre-arrival process will save the consignments from demurrage,’’ NAN quotes the zonal coordinator as saying.

In his response, Assistant Comptroller-General of Immigration, Adamu Musa, commended the efforts of the Customs zonal coordinator for deeming it fit to visit the zone.

“I feel fulfilled and honoured and I think my mission is completed with the visit of the Customs zonal coordinator to our office.

“The nation will not be protected if Immigration officers are not there to control and check the behaviour of human beings.

“Customs officers are also there to check equipment coming through both the ports and border stations,’’ Musa said.

The Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Logistics Command, AVM Mohammed Muhammadu, commended Customs for appreciating officers at the border stations.

He said that the Air Force would not relent in assisting Customs in protecting the nation.

Muhammadu commended Customs for giving the consignments of the service the deserved priority due to the sensitivity of the equipment.

“I will not relent in supporting Customs to meet and if possible surpass the revenue target given set by the Federal Government, ‘’ he said.