By  Godfrey Bivbere

Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Ethics and Values, Mrs. Sarah Jubril, has charged stakeholders in the maritime industry to uphold ethics and values in their operations.

Speaking in Lagos, the Presidential Adviser said it was only through adherence to known ethics and values that the elimination of corruption in port operations in the country could be achieved.

She said that until everyone in the sector gets involved in the fight against corruption through high ethical standards and values, the vices in the industry will remain.

Speaking earlier, Rear Admiral K. Amauche (rtd), said  despite the implementation of the International Ships and Ports facility Security, ISPS code, there was still a high level of insecurity in the nation’s maritime domain.

Amauche explained that the level of illegal bunkering, disappearance of arrested vessels and armed robbery at sea were only possible because of the lack of ethics and values by operators.

He said that the nation’s fishes were being harvested because the agencies responsible were induced to look the other way.

The solution to the problem of insecurity in the sector, he said was  the collaboration of all relevant government agencies such as Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA;  Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS among others to uphold ethical standard to ensure security of the maritime domain.