Shoddy Berthing Arrangement Mars Arrival Of NIMASA Floating Dock

A newly acquired floating dock by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety (NIMASA), failed to berth one week after arriving the country due to inability of the regulatory agency to make necessary arrangement for its berthing.
Investigations revealed that no arrangement was made for the vessel’s berthing until it arrived Lagos water on June 11, this year.
Head of Communication, NIMASA, Isichei Osamgbi said despite various communications from the builders of the floating dock, NIRDA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, no arrangement was made for the berthing f the vessel.
According to him, it is a big shame on the country.
Reliable source told The Tide that when the floating dock arrived, everyone including the Director General, started running helter skelter to find a berth for the dock.
The source said, various terminal operators who demanded various sums of money ranging from $350,000 to $52,000 per day to berth the floating dock but NIMASA was not ready to part with such amount.
Our Director General, Peterside Dakuku, also approached the Nigerian Ports Authority on Wednesday, but met a brick wall; but Niger Dock agreed to accept the floating dock for $26,000 per day with some other conditions.
Further investigation also reveals that the floating dock is now anchored at the Maritime jetty in Lagos even as MIMASA continues to look for a berthing facility for it.
However, the captain of the vessel has threatened to sail back to Amsterdam if adequate berthing arrangement is not put in place within the week.

Chinedu Wosu