By Stephen Ubanna
Nigeria, may have learnt its lesson for losing the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, Category C, Seat, to the East African country of Kenya in 2019. As a prelude to ensuring that the most populous West African maritime nation wins the IMO category C, Seat in the upcoming United Nations, UN, Maritime Agency Council election, the Nigerian government on appears to have done much works in the nation’s seaports and other areas which the agency had repeatedly complained about over the years.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos state, may have gone a step further to ensure that stops Nigeria from winning the IMO Category C, Seat this time around that he had signed six instruments of the Organization which past and former Muhammadu Buhari, had failed o signe into Law for implementation by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
The six IMO ,Conventions that were said to have been signed by the Nigerian President ahead of the UN, Maritime agency, Category C, Seat election, in the United Kingdom, according to Dayo Mobereola, , the Direcor General of the agency ,includes Accession of the Protocol of 2005 to the 2008 Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Fixed Platforms on the Continental Shelf and the Instrument for Accession of the International Convention of Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-Keeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel, 1996.
Other IMO Instruments that were said to have been signed by the Nigerian President that appears to have won the IMO officials are the Instrument of Accession of the Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Pollution by Substances other than Oil, 1973, amended, now described as the Intervention Protocol and the Instrument of Accession to the Protocol of 1996 to Amend the Convention of on Limitation of Liability For Maritime Claims , LLMC, 1976.
This is in addition to the signing of the Instrument of Accession to the Protocol to 1974 Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea,2002, and the Instrument of Accession to the HongKong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recyclig of Ships 2009.
An elated Mobereola, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the maritime regulatory agency,, who was said to have presented the signed Instruments of the IMO Conventions to Oyetola Adegboyega, the immediate past governor of Osun state and now minister of Marine and Blue Economy, who is doing everything within his powers to ensure that Nigeria secure the IMO Category C Seat in the Organization 2025, election, for facilitating the signing of the International Maritime Instruments by the President after years of pending in the ministry.
The NIMASA, Director General, may have shocked Nigerians when he said that the six IMO, Instruments have been lying within the ministry for the past six-to eight years but Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers and a former minister of Transportation, overseeing the nation’s maritime sector, and his successor, Eng, Muazu Jaji Sambo,, including Senator Gbemisola Saraki, were said to have failed to draw the attention of the then Nigerian President to sign the Conventions into Law for implementation in Nigeria.
It was not surprising why the former Osun state governor, who was said to have been properly briefed by the NIMASA, CEO, may not have wanted to fall into the same mistakes with the former ministers of Transportation, who many believe had made Nigeria a Laughing stock in the Comity of International, maritime nations for not appending its signature to the IMO Instruments as the country never benefited from the Laws as the ocean- going vessels, laden with cargoes and fishing trawlers which had contravened the Laws in the nation’s maritime domain were never punished according to the provisions of the relevant Conventions.
Describing the signing of the IMO Instruments as a Landmark achievement for Nigeria the NIMASA, helmsman, who had made a bold statement that the UN, Maritime Agency, will soon update the country’s records to recognize these Instruments. He did not stop there.
According to him, the action of the President to sign the IMO Instruments into Law, will pave the way for Nigeria to officially deposit these Instruments of Accession at the IMO, Headquarters in London, UK, which serves as the depository of such Conventions.
The former Lagos state Commissioner of Transportation, had said that the signing of the six IMO Instruments of Accession by President Tinubu, is expected to enhance’’ the country’s maritime governance and align its practices within international standards to promote maritime safety, security and environmental protection’’.
Oyetola, the minster of Maritime and Blue Economy, who has the backing of the President to ensure that Nigeria, secure the IMO, Category C, Seat, in the upcoming 2025, Council election, at the UK, Headquarters, was said to have inaugurated an inter-ministerial Committee to promote the Campaign and sensitize the international maritime nation’’s which are members of the Group to give Nigeria their support.
The inter-ministerial Committee for Nigeria’s election to the IMO Executive Council, at the 34th Regular Session in 2025, according to an insider comprises of high level officials from the ministry and other industry stakeholders led by Olufemi Oloruntola, the ministry Permanent Secretary.
Other members of the Committee include Director of Maritime Security and Safety from the ministry, and Mobereola, Director General, NIMASA, who will serve as the Alternate Chairpersons, Directors of Legal services and Maritime services from the ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Director of International Organizations Division at the ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and Barr. Akutah Pius the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC.
Also appointed to serve in the inter-ministerial Committee that would work for Nigeria’s election into the IMO, Category C, Council election are the Managing Director, Nigerian Inland Water Ways, NIWA and the Rector of Maritime Academy , man, Oron, Akwa Ibom, home state of Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, Ade Dosumu, former Director General, NIMASA, Charles Akinola, Representative of the Office of the minister of Marine and Blue Economy, and the Assistant Director, Maritime Pollution and Control at the ministry and Pascal Ogah, who will serve as the Secretary of the Committee.
The minister was said to have enjoined members of the Committee that ‘’the sensitization Campaign to secure the IMO Category C Seat must be all-inclusive, taking into consideration diplomatic and operational strategies in soliciting for votes that would yield good dividends.
The minister was said to have sounded it loud and clear that having lost out three times between 2011 and 2019, after its successful stints in 1975, 2001 and 2005, the country cannot fail again.
Hear him: Nigeria is due to return to the Council to cement its relevance as a strategic maritime domain and a strong voice in the West African sub-region. The former Osun state governor had said that Nigeria’s return to the IMO Council, is imperative given the country’s strategic location and significance In 2025as a hub of maritime activities and as a voice of for the region on the IMO Council, where crucial decisions regarding International maritime shipping and trade are made.
Recall that Mobereola, the NIMASA, Director General, had said that membership of the IMO Category C, comes with such benefits ‘’technical assistance, manpower and institutional development as well as political influence in the maritime sector of the global economy’’.
