BUA Boss Charges NIMASA On Enforcement Of Marine Laws

The General Manager of BUA Ports and Terminal, Port Harcourt, Alhaji Mohammed, has called on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Eastern zone, to properly carry out their legitimate duties in the territorial waters.

Mohammed made the call during a sensitisation programme on Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 held in Port Harcourt, recently.

He said they should not compromise their duties of monitoring and enforcement of the maritime laws on any vessel coming into the ports in the zone.

According to him, as one of the concessionnaires of Port Harcourt Port, arrest or detention of vessels that failed to meet its demands should be given due consideration, stressing that a situation where a ship was detained for weeks while the case was being processed in the court of law would not favour them as terminal operator.

This he said was because when the case would be finally determined in the court, the cost effect of such vessel on berth would not be considered for payment, thereby making the concessionnaires to lose revenue.

The General Manager further appealed to NIMASA to copy any court of such damages caused as a result of any detention and arrest of vessels.

In his address, the Director, Marine Environment Management Department of NIMASA, Mr M. B. Adewale in his paper, “Implementation of Marine Environment Management Regulations Reg 52 and 53 on Sea Protection Levy and Offshore Waste Reception Facilities” noted that the major roles and responsibilities of NIMASA with respect to marine administration is not limited to marine safety and seafarers standard, marine environment management, emergency services such as search and rescue operations, Hydrographic and ship registration services among other.