The Director-General, Nige
rian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA), Mr Ziakede Akpobolokemi, has said that the agency was opposed to all forms of pollution to the marine environment.
He made the declaration at his office in Lagos, when members of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) paid him a courtesy visit.
Mr Akpobolokemi said the agency’s dedication to protecting the marine environment made it to push for the maritime protection laws to be gazetted.
“A few days ago, we were at the National Assembly over pollution-related issues because we are very opposed to any form of pollution.
“We do not want to tolerate pollution. Our life is the ecosystem and the ecosystem is our life.
“We have a mandate to protect the marine environment. That was why we did everything we could to get our marine protection laws and deregulation gazetted.
“The laws are targetted against pollution that emanates from ships, shipping activities and other pollution to the marine environment.”
He said that the agency was winning the war against piracy, in collaboration with the security agencies.
“Definitely, we are winning the war against piracy, but in collaboration with the security agencies, especially the Navy.
“We have been able to chase pirates out of our territory and it is no longer safe for them.
“They are going out, so it is left for us to go ahead and collaborate with our sister-countries,” he said.
The NIMASA chief said the agency had sent out marine notices to all indigenous vessel owners, warning them not be involved in any way in the act of piracy.
“We have sent marine notices informing all indigenous vessel owners that if any vessel is involved in piracy, such vessel will be impounded.
“The person or group of persons or the company is going to face the full weight of the law. It has sent a strong signal and piracy has reduced,” he stressed.
On the Cabotage Act, the DG said that there was need for an amendment to enable Nigerians meet the requirement.
“We need the laws to be amended. We have approached the National Assembly and I believe they will do something about it.
“Because the law says the vessels must be owned by Nigerians; you say it should be built in Nigeria, but where are the shipyards?”
Our correspondent reports that in 2003, the Cabotage Act of 2003 was introduced in the maritime sector and was aimed at preserving Nigerian coastal shipping areas for local maritime companies.
He said that even as a shipyard was being established, there was need for liberalisation of the industry to enable people come in and build shipyards and dockyards.
The NIMASA chief executive said the need to have Nigerians man such ships that would be built in Nigeria, informed the training of Seafarers under the capacity-building programme.
He added that the agency had continued to ensure that Nigerians got onboard vessels to work, where they had the capacity to do so.