By Stephen Ubanna
More facts have emerged why the he North American country of the United States Coast Guard, USCG, have agreed ‘’to offer a three –year plan to work with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, under the Leadership of Bashir Jamoh, OFR .
This because of the agency ability to contain the piracy activities in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea over the last three years that ocean going vessels laden with cargoes could now enter the Gulf Guinea, particular, with harassment of crew members by pirates and sea robbers or subjected to other violent crimes in the region. The NIMASA Authority was said to have also won the heart of its USCG, counterpart for the removal of the Condition of Entry, CoE, placed on vessels from Nigeria.
Juliet Hudson, a Naval Commander, may have gladdened the heart of Jamoh and his Management team, when she opened up on the issue at the USCG headquarters in Washington DC, during a peer review visit of the Nigerian maritime regulatory agency delegation.
The USCG Naval Commande was said to have used the opportunity provided by the NIMASA officials visit to announce a bi-annual assessment of compliance level with the International Ship and Port Facility Security, ISPS, Coode, which is amendment to the safety of Life at Sea SOLASA, Convention, 174/1988 at the Lagos ports of Apapa, Tincan Island , Port Terminal Multi-services Limited, PTML, phases I and II and the south eastern ports of Onne, Rivers port, PortHarcourt and Calabar port, Cross river state including Delta port , Warri, working with NIMASA officials over the years.
Hudson, the UCG, Commander who could not hide her feelings had was to have told have assured the NIMASA delegation during their visit to the Coast Guard’s Washing Dc, head office that that that they will work with the agency to review the compliance level of ports in the West African country of Nigeria with th provisions of the ISPS Code. She had said that the peer review will be done twice in a year to enable he USCG personnel ‘’update the Port Advisory Security , PAS, portal in the White House.
The Naval Commander is optimistic that after furnishing the PAS, White House portal, a decision will taken by the US government to completely lift the CoE for Nigerian vessels into US ports. The NIMASA delegation may have left the USCG headquarters in Washington Dc, with a message to Jamoh, the agency Director General, that the Coast Guard officers are happy with the agency for ISPS implementation at the nation’s seaports.
There is no gain saying the fact that NIMASA, is the only designated aritime agency in Nigeria responsible for the implementation of the ISPS , Code in Nigeria. It is on record that over the last three years , NIMASA, under the Leadership of Jamoh, described as as workaholic in maritime circles has continued to collaborate with the Nigerian Navy, which currently has Vice Admiral Emmabuel Ogalla, as the Chief of Naval Staff and other relevant agencies including the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, under the close watch of Mohammed Bello-Koko to achieve its mandate .
amoh, NIMASA, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, may have taken the message delivered to him from the USCG Authorities by the agency officials that had visited its headquarters at Washington DC, the country’s Seat of Power, recently, over its compliance in the implementation of the provisions of the ISP Code because the commendation message had come from no other country but the U fromSCG.
Note that the USCG controls the North American country’s coasts and international waters using cutters, aircraft, and intelligence to detect, intercept and disrupt dangerous and illegal activities such as drug smuggling and human trafficking.
The USCG, according to an informed source also regulates the operation of ocean going vessels and safeguards the efficient movement of maritime commerce, valued at over $5 trillion annually in international waters including the Gulf of Guinea region, where NIMASA is currently doing a jood job by ensuring adequate security in the region.
In carrying out their jobs in the international waters, The Value News gathered that mariners are made to complete the USCG certified training to become licensed. An informed martime source told The Online Magazine without the mariners under- going the compulsory training programme they may not be issued operating permits as it has the powers to direct ports closed or opened for vessel traffic into its country’s ports. The USCG, may have acquired such enormous powers because its Managers directs ships on critical waters across the world.
While Jamoh and his Management team are yet to savour the joy of being in the good book of the USCG, that may soon pave the way for the removal of the CoE, for Nigeria vessels into US waters, the NIMASA , CEO, on Friday, February 9, 2024, had received in audience Lt. Benjamin Montz, led delegation in Lagos, the nation’s Financial and Commercial Capital.
An elated Jamoh, while acknowledging the support from past and present Government of the US, in seeing to the implementation of the ISPS Code in Nigerian seaports , was aid to have told the USCG delegation to the agency that ‘’any support to Nigeria would be extended to Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic Central African country of Cameroon, and other member countries of the Gulf of Guinea region .The NIMASA helmsman, was said to have made he USCG officials on a visit to the agency to understand that that Nigeria, which had spent 195 million to procure maritime security equipment from Israel, to keep the country ‘s waters and the Gulf of Guinea region for ocean going vessels and their crew members have been alive to their duties. He was emphatic that ‘’Nigeria is a major role to play in the Gulf of Guinea region’’.
Appealing to the US, Government to increase its support to Nigeria and countries in the Gulf o Guinea region in order to Consolidate on the gains of the Deep Blue Project, embarked upon by the Nigerian government , he noted that it is the only way to further bolster the existing ties in the region.
Giving USCG role in training mariners, may have encouraged Jamoh, the NIMASA boss to call on the US military agency ‘’to assist the Nigerian Maritime Regulatory agency ‘’in the area of training irs personnel’’, noting that a gap analysis will be done and then synchronise with the Coast Guard in order to give the right training to the right personnel
Osagie Edward, an Assistant Director and NIMASA , Head of Public Relations, may have re-emphasized what the NIMASA Director General had said when he reiterated that the agency will continue to collaborate with other relevant government agencies to achieve mandate with the USCG, providing the the required support and assistance toward the realisaton of a safer and more secured Nigeria waterways and by extension the Gulf of Guinea.
Lt Montz, of the USCG , who had led the delegation to NIMASA, recently may have corroborated what Cdr. Hudson, had said at the agency headquarters in Washington DC, when a NIMASA delegation visited that they will collaborate with the agency to improve safety and security in the nation’s maritime sector , with particular reference to port operations. He was said to have also pledged that ‘’USCG will support NIMASA in the area of training its personnel’’, which the the NIMASA, had repeated drummed to the hearing of the US military agency personnel at any given opportunity both in Nigeria and in the United States.
