By Stephen Ubanna
When President Mohammadu Buhari, appointed Bashir Jamoh, an Assistant Director, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, as Executive Director, Finance and Administration and subsequently as Director General to replace Dakuku Peterside, the immediate past Director General of the agency, who was not reappointed for a second term, on March 10, 2020, not many knew that he was a great Administrator.
With barely three years on the saddle as the Director General of NIMASA, he has somewhat established himself that he has become a household name in the nation’s maritime domain that individuals and Organisations seek to identify with him.
Between March 10, 2020, and now , Jamoh , according to Industry operators have taken the nation’s maritime sector to a new height that even Mele Kolo Kyari, the Group Managing Director, GMD, of Nigerian Nation Petroleum Corporation NNPC, now baptised, Nigerian Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, with the signing into Law of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, passed by the National Assembly by the Katsina born Nigerian President in August 2020, has come to synergise with the maritime regulatory agency.
As part of the synergy between the two government agencies, the NNPCL, GMD, who may have been following the steps taken by the NIMASA , Director General, over the last two years, to facilitate the disbursement of the Cabotage Finance Fund, CVFF, to the indigenous Ship owners, to acquire ocean going vessels, that would help them to compete with the foreign shipping Companies which have dominated the country’s maritime domain over the years, the Corporation was said to have expressed interest in taking part in the funding of the indigenous ship owners to acquire vessels .
The Nigerian oil octopus was said to have agreed to provide nine percent of the CVFF, which an Appreciative Jamoh has promised on will be disbursed to shortlisted indigenous ship owners based on fillers from the Federal ministry of Transportation under the close watch of Muazu Jaji Sambo, an Engineer, before the Buhari’s Administration elapse on May 29, 23, to pave way for Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, popular, Jagaban, a former governor of Lagos state and the President-elect, on the ticket of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, to step in.
The agency, according to Jamoh, of thewould give a loan of $25 million to each ship owner shortlisted. The total amount which currently has hit $350 million provided by it, is xpected to be disbursed by the five banks approved by the government which included Zenith, Polaries, UBA Jaiz, and Union would also contribute to the funding of the ship owners.
The banks are expected to contributed additional 35 percent while the ship owners would bear 15 percent of the cost of acquiring the vessel. Note that the current amount earmarked for disbursement to the indigenous shipping Companies excludes the nine percent funding that would be provided by the NNPC, for the multi-million dollar project.
The latest to seek a close working relationship with the NIMASA, boss was Barry Ndiomu , a retired Army Maj. Gen. and Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Prgramme , PAP, in the Niger Delta region, and his teamam who were said to have paid a working visit to the NIMASA helmsman at his Apapa office, described by maritime analysts as ‘’timely and a wake-up call to synergy’’.
The retired Army Maj.Gen., according to a source is a close relations of Rear Admiral Ndiomu rtd a, one-time Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command the Navy newly created Naval Standards and valuation Branch.
Maj. Gen. Ndiomu, may have taken advantage of the visit to appeal to Jamoh, the NIMASA , Director General, ‘’to fashion out a workable and sustainable partnership arrangement towards creating opportunities for the teeming unemployed Youths in the nine Niger Delta states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross river, Delta, Edo, Ondo , Rivers and Imo.
The NIMASA , Chief Executive Officer, CEO, who in the recent time have been speaking on the Blue Economy at different Forums both within and outside the country, because there has been a drastic reduction in the demand for Nigerian Crude oil in the International Oil market had repeatedly said that developed economies are now finding alternative to fuels and Nigeria must not be seen to be lagging behind in diversifying its economy.
The NIMASA, Director General, was aid to have informed the PAP, Interim Chairman , on ‘’the availability of creating jobs in the Blue Economy’’, stressing that the nation’s maritime sector has ‘’the capability to engage the Youths, as this will discourage them from engaging in nefarious activities of perpetuating criminal activities like Piracy and sea robbery in Nigerian waters’’.
He was said to have told the duo that Piracy and sea robbery remain’’ the major threats to the growth to the Blue economy’’, noting that this may have encouraged the Nigerian government to invest $195 million to procure maritime security infrastructure.
The Israeli security firm, HLSI Security Systems and Technologies Limited, which had won the multi-million dollar contract, had delivered to NIMASA between 2020 an now 16Armoured vehicles, , 17 interception boats, for coastal Patrol, Two Special Mission Vessels, To Special Mission aircrafts, for surveillance of Nigeria Exclusive Economic Zone, EEZ, three helicopters and four unmanned Aerial vehicles. The maritime security assets, Jamoh, had said have been deployed for operations in Nigeria waters and the Gulf of Guinea, in the fight against Piracy and sea robbery.
Jamoh, the NIMASA, boss, was said to have informed the two Ndiomus, who are retired senior Military personnel, that ‘’the agency willingness to partner with PAP and other relevant agencies , can sustain the tempo of curbing piracy in Nigerian waters as the International Communities are watching to see if that could be done’’. He is optimistic that the synergy with Maj. Gen. Ndiomu, led PAP, particular, will go a long ‘’to sustain the tempo of policing of the Nigerian waters as they would be actively engaging the teeming unemployed Youths in the region as well as be empowering them on the opportunities in the nation’s maritime sector’’.
Jamoh, who could not hide his feelings had said that ‘’the industry is large enough to sustainably and actively engage 350 million Youths as ‘’there are enormous opportunities that Youths can take advantage of to generate Foreign exchange earnings’’. He may have gladdened the heart of the PAP, Administrator when he said that ‘’the agency is ready ‘’to collaborate with the agency in reintegrating beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme into the society’’.
Major Gen, Ndiomu, the PAP, boss, , according to Osagie Edward, an Assistant Director and the agency spokesperson had said to the hearing of the NIMASA ,Director General, , that ‘’it has trained a large number of youths across various institutions in the world in professional Courses such as Sea Diving, underwater wielding, and Marine Engineering.
Perhaps, this may have informed why the Interim PAP, interim Chairman, is seeking the partnership with NIMASA , in order for the agency’’ to engage the trained professionals in marine related jobs’’
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