The Federal Government has directed an inter-ministerial committee to work out modalities for removing wrecks and derelicts from Lagos waters within four weeks.

Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, disclosed this in Lagos at a meeting with Lagos State Government officials on the wrecks and derelicts littering the Lagos waters.

Suleiman said that the committee had been expanded to include representatives of Lagos State Government and the Federal Ministry of Justice. He said that the committee would come up with the critical wrecks and derelicts that needed to be removed immediately.

The minister said that the committee, expected to start work immediately, would superintend over the removal of the wrecks and derelicts and come up with the cost implication. He said that it was part of the committee’s assignment to come up with a time frame on the removal of the wrecks.

According to him, the Lagos State Government has expressed concern over the challenges as they have been having a lot of developmental projects and the wrecks have become a concern to them. He told NIMASA and NPA to give a clear report on the critical wrecks and derelicts that must be cleared immediately, saying “those causing erosion must be identified and removed”.

Suleiman, who said there were over 100 wrecks and derelicts in Lagos waters, described the problem as highly critical and endangering the marine environment. “From the presentations made on wrecks and derelicts by the Nigerian Ports Authority and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) today, it is very important we address the issue as soon as possible,” he said.

Mr Supo Sasore, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, said that the state government would go after the perpetrators of the wrecks and make them to account for their actions.

“They must have protection and indemnity insurance. There are also consequences of the wrecks regarding the loss of social existence and environmental hazards,” he said.  He added that both the state and federal ministries of Justice would give the NPA and NIMASA the desired legal cover for removing the wrecks.

Capt. Ihenacho Ebubeogu, the NPA General Manager, Marine, said that the organisation had so far identified 54 derelicts, mostly owned by indigenous shipping companies.

He said that one of the ways to solve the problem was for the government to come up with a scrap policy. He urged the minister to look at the provisions of the Nairobi Convention, which rests the onus of removing wrecks on the ship owner.

Mrs Juliana Gunwa, Head, Marine Environment Management Department, NIMASA, said that the agency had so far removed 15 wrecks from Lagos waters since 2008.

She recalled that the agency removed four out of the 16 vessels beached on February 14, saying that the rest should be removed to avoid a looming disaster. She said that the agency had identified 21 wrecks and derelicts scattered all over Lagos waters, adding that six were of high priority for something urgent to be done.