Stephen Ubanna
Bashir Jamoh, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, appears to have to have taken advantage of his education at the Korea Maritime and Ocean University, in Asia, and his wealth of knowledge on maritime matters to throw the door open for Collaboration and support from other nations to enhance the country’s maritime security.
Between March March 10, 2020, and now, Jamoh,’s avowed intention to make the Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea unsafe for Piracy and other Criminal activities have continued to receive international attention that some countries have declared their willingness to support in order to sustain the war.
Many believe that Jamoh is succeeding in attracting international attention in the anti-piracy war in the because he has the ears of Rotimi Amaechi, the minister of Transportation and President Muhammadu Buhari. The duo , may have realised that the maritime sector remains the key to the nation’s economic development with the dwindling revenue from the oil, over the last five years, and thus had thrown their weight on every NIMASA project that had to do with security of the nation’s maritime domain.
Recall that the government had awarded a $195 million contract security contract, to HLSI Security Systems and Technilogies Limited, an Israeli firm in 2017 . With the contract, the Israeli firm was said to have g been given to take total control of the country’s maritime security.
Known in Maritime circles as the Deep Blue Project or the Integrated National Security and Water Ways Protecting Infrastructure , which Dakuku Peterside, a former Director General of the Maritime Regulatory Agency had said was designed ’’to secure the country’s Anchorage areas in the Lagos ports of Apapa, Tin can Island and the south east ports of Port Harcourt Area 1, Onne, Rivers port, Delta port and Calaabar port, in Cross rive state.
Recall that last September, Kim In-Taek, a former Consul General, Embassy of the South Korea and Jamoh, the NIMASA, boss, at a meeting, in Lagos, the nation Commercial hub had agreed to intensify their Collaboration in trade and shiping Development that would be beneficial to the two countries. The NIMASA Director General , had pleaded with In-Taek, the South Korea Consul General to expand the relation with Nigerian in line with global economic dynamics.
The NIMASA Director General appeal may have registered in the mindset of the South Korea Consul General. This is evident going by the response of Kang Haenggu, the new Consul General of the Asian country in Nigeria to the NIMASA boss at a meeting in Lagos. Haenggu, who may have been told quite a lot about the NIMASA under the current Management led by Jamoh, described as one of their own, may have informed why he has sustained the tempo of discussion between the Embassy and NIMASA ‘’to enhance trade and security of the country maritime domain’’.
Daniel Bertrand, Ambassador designat of the European country, may have taken a cue from the Haenggu, the Consul General of South Korea , to his words that Belgium would also support Nigeria to enhance its trade and security.
Many believe that it is only someone who understands the politics of the global maritime Industry , like Jamoh, that could attract such Inernation attention to the nation’s maritime sector this time around that the world is facing the menace of the Wuhan Town in Hebei Province of China emerged coronavirus, popular COVID 19.
An appreciative Jamoh had told the two foreign dinatories that were at NIMASA recently on a Courtesy call to explore areas of Cooperation and support for the agency that the Deep Blue project , which is the pet project of the agency is nearing Completion. The NIMASA Director general was said to have told his August visitors that 80% of the Assets for the Deep Blue Project, comprising of Special Mission Vessels, Aerial Vehicles, and Armoured vehicles, had been by the Israeli security firm to the agency.
He was said to have also informed them that that the information and the intelligence hub of the project , the Command Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence Center, C4I, which was Commissioned in August 2019, had been to use,
He may have drawn the attention of the South Korean and Belgium Embassy Officials of where their countries could easily come in to assist Nigeria, when he said ‘’the Centre is up and running with round-the Cock production of needed maritime awareness.
According to him, ‘the Centre had variously ‘’helped to identify and monitor the activities in black spots in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea, leading to arrests of Pirates and other Criminal elements by the Nigerian Navy in the recent times. Giving a further insight to the Deep Blue Project, an elated Jamoh said the training to man it had commenced and would be concluded this October , ahead of the deployment of the maritime Assets by December, 2020.
This ay have informed why he called for South Korea and Belgium Investments in the nation’s maritime domain in the Areas of removal of ship wreck, ship building and assistance in the training as well as Certification of Nigerian seafaerers.
Philip Kaynet, a Deputy Director and Head of the agency Corporate Communications in a Statement said Haenggu , the South KoreaN Consul General and Bertran the Ambassador designate of Belgium, in their separate submissions had pledged their determination ‘’to improve ties between their respective countries and NIMASA.Bertrand who could not hide his feelings had said that his priority was ‘’to promote Commerce between his home country and Nigeria.
