By Godwin Oritse & Ifeyinwa Obi

THERE are indications that stakeholders are galvanizing plans to move against the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, over alleged mismanagement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, CVFF.

The Lagos branch of Nigerian Shippers’ Association, in collaboration with legal luminary, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), had resolved to write officially to the agency, with a view to stating the true position of the fund or face legal action.

Already, Mr. Agbakoba had threatened to take legal action against the agency, if the true position of the fund was not made known to the public as soon as possible.

Agbakoba, who condemned the inability of the management of NIMASA to manage the fund, said NIMASA must account for the fund and tell Nigerians the true position of the fund.

The maritime lawyer is also galvanizing efforts at advocating a new move, tagged the Maritime Action Plan, to get the authorities to make deliberate action to realize the potential of and growing the maritime sector.

Speaking to journalists yesterday in Lagos, Agbakoba said stakeholders in the industry had a role to play by drawing attention of government to the anomalies in the maritime industry.

He said the fund was required to help the industry grow, adding that workable ideas were also needed to boost local content and cabotage administration.

He noted that of all the monies paid into the fund, nothing had been disbursed, an indication that there is a problem.

He said: “I judged the success of NIMASA by how many people they have supported to buy a ship, which is the bottom line because if you do not have funding, we will continue to have a weak sector.“

He said a letter will be written to the agency to explain the position of the fund, and that if that failed, legal proceedings would be instituted against it.