FG Moves To Check Maritime Crime

The Director-General of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS), Mrs Ify Anazonwu-Akerele says the Federal Government is taking adequate steps to address the menace of armed robbery on Nigerian waters.

Anazonwu-Akerele gave this assurance recently  in Abuja

She commended the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), on its efforts so far to check robbery on Nigerian waters, and said that reports from trade associations across West Africa showed that stakeholders were happy at the steps Nigeria had taken so far.

“I must commend NIMASA right now because its quietened down and reports from other trade associations across West Africa like Cotounou, they are actually very happy with the steps Nigeria has taken in addressing this armed robbery situation.

“The issue isbeing addressed and  I am so happy that less publicity is being given, because in security matters, you do not go around saying what you are going to do.

“We didn’t know that they were planning to hit Osama Bin Laden till it happened. That is pure security, so the approach has become much more professional, a lot is going on, it is still there, but they think twice before they come near along the Nigerian waters.’’

Anazonwu-Akerele said that the NCS usually assisted NIMASA with necessary information to assist it in the fight against the miscreants as its own contribution to keep Nigerian waters safe.

Speaking on the credibility and integrity of members of the NCS, the director-general stated that the body was a highly controlled one.

According to her, the chamber has criteria which an intending member must meet before joining the body and even if they don’t meet up with those criteria, they have to persuade the body.

She stated that the aim was to ensure that its members could face their international counterparts anywhere in the world.

“So most members in the chamber of shipping are quite a good crop; we are not that many, we don’t have up to 150 members and it’s deliberate and every year the membership fees go higher and higher because we want to maintain a group that can meet with anybody on the international platform.

“But that notwithstanding, before you become a chamber member, I told you we have criteria and you have to show the kind of business you are doing.

“A lot of people go about saying they are in oil and gas and quite frankly they just have a briefcase and they collect PFI’s from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and sell their PFIs.

“They sell those PFIs to our members who are in the downstream sector, they bring it, they buy it and use it to bring in the products.’’

She also spoke about other professionals that formed members of the chamber.

“If you are a maritime lawyer, you had to have shown your background in law, and your affiliation; your clientele; if you aspire to be a maritime lawyer, we have to be convinced as well.

“If you are in clearing and forwarding, we have to see that you have a registered company, recognised by Customs; all the needed credentials.

“If you are a vessel operator, that is the downstream, upstream, we have to see that you own vessels or you have payable chatters; you have chatter party agreements, we have to see your past contracts, those are things we look at before…. and if you do own vessels, what is your turnover.

“There are some, we even actually visit their offices because some of them come with very big papers and this one, we say somebody should go quietly and visit and that is how we maintain a very controlled body.