Maritime:NIMASA Cadets Training In Philipines, Trouble In The House

By Stephen Ubanna

 Barshir Jamoh, a maritime ICON ,and Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety agency, NIMASA, is not a happy man. Jamoh’s source of unhappiness was  the embarrassment which the over 100 students of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme, NSDP,  2013, set, sponsored by the Maritime Regulatory Agency,   in the Asian country of Philippines, has caused Nigeria in the Comity.

The Cadets may have  protested at the Nigerian Embassy in Manila, the Asian  country’s Capital, over the non-remittance of their allowance ‘’to renew their house rents, procure their VISAs and settle other outstanding expenses to draw the attention of the agency Authorities to their plight.

The aggrieved Cadets who were said  have reportedly said that when they were selected for the Philippines training for their Certificate of Competency course, each of them   were given $6,564 which could barely take care of  their accommodations, medicals, transportation, feeding and trainings for basic courses for the Licensure   examination for six months.

  The Cadets, who are studing various courses, had said that the money could not cover the  payment for  advance trainings  such as  Basic Training, BT,  Proficiency  in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats,  Medical First Aid,  Advance Fire-,  fighting,   BTOCT, BTLGT, Advance Training for oil Tanker,  Advance Training for Chemical,   Advance Training for Liquefied Natural Gas, LNG,  Engine Resource Management, ERM,  human Element Leadership and Managements.      

NSDP, Cadets: Protest In Nigeria Embassy, Manila, Philippines, To Attract NIMASA, Attention

The aggrieved Cadets who had claimed that they have been homeless for about one month and almost starving without the NIMASA management, giving a damn about their welfare were said to have called on President Muhammadu Buhari, going by  the account of the online video, which have gone viral ‘’to come to their rescue’’.

The Cadets major worry was that  they are supposed   to have completed their courses in four months  but it is now dragging to 10 years  as ‘’there have been  several delays  and arbitrary extension  of their examinations’’.

Edward Osagie, an Assistant Director in charge of the agency Media, Adverts and Brands, when contacted by one of the online publications, not The Value News, would not agree that the Management do not care about the Cadets welfare in Philippines. He may have alluded to the fact that it may look as if there are delays in disbursing their allowances as expected because ‘’the agency was reviewing the cost of direct sponsorship of the Cadets because of the high cost of living in the Asian country to due to the global inflation’’.

The online publication has quoted him as saying that ‘’the Management of agency under the close watch of Jamoh, has approved an additional $2,000 for each Cadet as extra funds   due ‘’the global inflation which had hit Phillpines’’.

Although, the extra $ 2,000 , additional allowance approved for each of the Cadets have not gotten to them yet, but the NIMASA, spokesperson  is optimistic that  that  theNigerian Embassy  in theAsian country will get in touch  with the students soon  as the funds are ready to be disbursed, describing ‘’it as a well c coordinated arrangement through the Embassy by the agency’’.

NIMASA protesting Cadets In Nigerian Embasy, Manila, Philippines

As prelude to getting the root of the matter,  Jamoh, the NIMASA, Chief Executive, Officer, CEO, was said to have been given  a ministerial approval  to send a fact finding Team to Philippines,   this October. Osagie, an Assistant Director, overseeing the Public Relations Relation Department had confirmed that Victor Ochei, the agency Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage, has been appointed to lead the Team to the Phillipines on a fact finding mission ‘’ ascertain first hand, the issues  behind the protest at the Nigeria Embassy  by the seafarers under NSDP,, 2013,  ‘’to fully and finally address them’’.

The NIMASA, spokesperson , in  a Statement  issued, had said that  that ‘’the agency is  monitoring the unfortunate  development  in Philippines’’  as seen in a recent online video that was said to have gone viral, stressing that the Ochei led Team on a fact finding mission to Manila,  Phillippines, are expected  to engage with the School  and the Cadets,  in order to be able to deal  with the matter  from an informed position , noting  that the problem ‘’far predates the Jamoh’s Administration’’. Many believe that the Cadets sent abroad for training have only received much of the agency’s attention over the last two years because  of the Custom of the NIMASA boss, who has made maritime development as one of the planks of the Administration.

Aware of the fact that speculative reporting on this vexed issue may further  aggravate the crisis, may have informed why the NIMASA, Helmsman   had ‘’called for caution  and avoidance of speculative reporting  until  the  official outcome  of the on the-spot  evaluation  to the Phillipines  by the Ochei led Team is submitted.He is right because of the tense atmosphere which  may be cashed on by mischief makers to push out damaging articles and offensive digital videos to make a mockery of NIMASA, sending Cadets abroad. For training.     .

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