By Godwin Oritse

Mariners currently engaged by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) have concluded plans to leave the agency en-masse following a proposed down grading exercise of the seafarers.

Meanwhile the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, (NAMM) has commenced moves against the proposed down grading of mariners. The group has met with officials of the Ministry of Transport over the matter.

Disclosing this to Vanguard in Lagos, the President of the group, Captain Ade Olopoenia, said he could not disclose what transpired between the association and officials of the Ministry,

He however said the meeting was very fruitful as matters affecting mariners in NIMASA was exhaustively discussed as assurance were also given to the group with regards to the job security of the mariners in NIMASA.

He assured mariners in NIMASA of the security of their jobs as the proposed exercise will not hold as the agency will lose more in the long run.
Some of the mariners who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity said that most of them had to leave their Dollar based jobs to add value to NIMASA.

They said that there is currently a dichotomy between the mariners as some non-mariners are not happy with the crop of professionals in the NIMASA system as their presence is perceived as a clog in the wheel of the progress of some corrupt officials of the agency.

Corrupt officials

Vanguard also gathered that most of the newly recruited mariners in NIMASA  were lobbied from their various international jobs.

According to them, some of them left their plum jobs with Mobil and other international oil firms to serve their country.

It was gathered that most of the mariners working in NIMASA before now were on contract until the immediate past Director General , Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi who recruited about seventy of them on a permanent basis.

Statistical figures made available to Vanguard showed that the involvement of mariners in the operations of NIMASA has increased the revenue profile of organization .

It was learnt that the mariners introduced the Satellite Surveillance   of vessels that calls and leaves the nation’s maritime domain.