By Stephen Ubana
When Bashir Jamoh, OFR, Director General, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, made a policy statement on assumption of duties on March 10, 2020, ‘’to tackle Maritime Security, Maritime Safety and pursue the country’s ship development agenda, he knew he could achieve all that with all the necessary support from the industry stakeholders and the relevant government agencies and the government.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, had thrown his weight behind the maritime regulatory agency with the procurement of 16 armoured vehicles, for coastal patrol, 17 Fast Interception Boats, two Special Mission Vessels, now being operated and maintained by the Nigerian Navy under the close watch of Rear Admiral Emmauel Ogalla, to support its operations.
This is in addition to the procurement of three Helicopters, two special mission aircrafts for surveillance of Nigerian Exclusive Economic Zone, NEEZ and four Unmanned Aerial vehicles, currently being operated by the Nigerian Air Force, AF, in the spirit of inter-agency relationship .The Israeli security firm, HLSI Security Systems and Technologies Limited, which had won the contract to supply the maritime security assets domiciled in NIMASA, was said to have been paid the sum of $195 million.
Indeed, with the deployment of the maritime security assets, for operations, particular, the ones operated and maintained by the Nigerian Navy, ‘’piracy, sea robbery and other criminal activities appears to have been contained in Nigerian waters ad the Gulf of Guinea between 2020 and now. That much has been confirm by the International Maritime Bureau, IMB, described as a specialised division of the International Chamber of Commerce, ICC, and a non- profit-making Organisation’’ to act as a focal point in the fight against all types of maritime crime and malpractice’’
Even the International maritime Community and the Leadership of the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, a United Nation, UN’s maritime agency had equally confirmed the drastic decline in piracy and sea robbery activities in Nigerian waters over the last three years that Jamoh had mounted the saddle in NIMASA.
Having made appreciable impact in Maritime Security in Nigeria waters and the Gulf of Guinea to forestall attack on ocean -going vessels may have informed why the IMASA, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, and his Management Team, had turned their attention to tackle Maritime Safety, another key agenda of the administration.
Worried at the continuous Boat mishap and loss of lives in Nigerian waters which was said to have put George Moghalu, Managing Director, Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, on the high jump and always weeping may have encouraged the NIMASA, CEO, described as a workaholic in maritime circles to go a step further to unravel the root causes the Boat accidents and to address it squarely.
There is no gain saying the fact that between 2020 and now, over 936 men, women and children had died in over 70 Boat accidents in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Bauchi Kwara, Lagos , Niger, Sokoto, and Cross river state including Rivers, Kebbi, Kogi and Ondo states.
Mohalu, the NIWA, helmsman who had recently expressed sadness over the death of passengers in the recent Boat mishaps in Niger, home state of former Nigerian military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, rtd, and Adamawa, home state of Abubakar Atiku, a former Nigerian Vice President, during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration and who incidentally was the Presidential Candidate of the Opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the February 25, 2023, Presidential elections, but that was how far he could go.
As a prelude to effectively tackling the incessant Boat mishaps in Nigerian waters, Jamoh, the NIMASA, boss, who could not hide his feelings, was said to stressed the need for reopening of the agency’s Lokoja office in Kogi state.
He had said in June 2020, that ‘’the move is aimed at bringing the agency close to the operators and stakeholders along the nations ‘s Inland waterways’’. An aggrieved Jamoh, who is not happy over the persistent Boat mishaps in Nigeria waters was said to have made it clear to those that cares to listen of the maritime regulatory agency’s commitment ‘’to constantly educate the country’s waterways users on safety standards and environmental issues associated with Navigation of the inland waters’’.
True to his words, of reopening the agency Lokoja, office, Osagie Edward, an Assistant Director and the agency spokesperson, who had issued a statement to reassure industry stakeholders that the agency is set to reopen the Lokoja office , noted that ‘’it is part of efforts towards harnessing the Blue Economy’’, under the new ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in which Adegboyega Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state as the overseeing minister while also ‘’promoting Research and Development’’.
The NIMASA CEO, may have opened up about the agency’s plan to reopen the closed Lokoja office, when he played host to Malam Usman Hayatu Mazadu, Executive Secretary of the Kaduna state Emmergency Management Agency, KADSEMA, in the agency Lagos Head office.
The NIMASA, CEO, may haven give the KADSEMA, Executive Secretary a message to send back to the people when he disclosed that ‘’the key cardinal principle of reopening the agency Lokoja office ‘’ is to improve on research and development and to establish the nexus in maximising the use of available resources in the nation’s inland waterways and the deep blue waters within the 28 states of the Federation, spanning over 4000 Km of inland waters and over 200 nautical miles of ocean resources’’.
An appreciative Mallam Usman, the KADSEMA, Executive Secretary, who could not conceal his happiness over Jamoh led NIMASA Management’s decision to reopen the agency closed Lokoja office was said to have ‘’lauded the agency for the bold initiative and the feat so far, achieved over the last three years, which cuts across the entire Nigeria’’.
While seeking for Cooperation with the agency in possible areas to enhance its operations, the KADSEMA, CEO, was said to have ‘’expressed the readiness of the Kaduna state agency ‘’ ‘ to support NIMASA in areas that may be deemed possible’’.
Until his exit from office on May 29, 2023, following the expiration of the Buhari’s eight-year-old administration, Engr. Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, a former minister of n. had said that the newly acquired multi-million naira, Abuja, the Federal Capital, FCT, zonal office oof the agency ‘’ will oversee the operations of the Lokoja Safety Base office’’. Sambo, the immediate past minister of Transportation had made clear that ‘’the NIMASA zonal office in Abuja, will play a vital role in delivering the agency’s regulatory responsibilities on safety matters in the Nigeria inland waterways’’.
He had said that the acquisition of the strategic Zonal office at the FCT, by the Jamoh led NIMASA Management Team had facilitated the establishment of a permanent Safety Base in Lokoja, Capital of Kogi state, ‘’as several limiting factors encumber the agency former rented property in the City’’. It was said to have limited the agency’s ability to restructure and modify the facility to meet exigencies necessary to increase productivity, to the long-term financial implications of paying exorbitant rents’’.
Described as the Champion of the blue economy project in the West African country of Nigeria, Jamoh, may have gladdened the heart of industry stakeholders and Nigerians in General when he declared that ‘’the Blue Economy has come to stay’’, noting that ‘’very soon people will see the impact of what the country have in terms of the gains and benefits ‘’to grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, while improving on the economy’’.
