Reps rate NIMASA high on budget implementation

Few weeks to end of the 2013 financial year, the House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport has rated high the budget performance of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which saw an improvement to the result recorded in the previous year.

According to the committee members, the management of the agency spent more on capital projects this year than operating cost, which they described as a necessity for development in all sectors of the economy.

Speaking at a recent visit to the agency as part of its oversight functions, IfeanyiUgwuanyi, chairman of the committee, assured NIMASA of the committee’s commitment to supporting the agency in achieving maximum efficiency in the transformation of the maritime sector. The committee further applauded the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), describing it as a veritable tool for wealth creation, which they pledged to support.

On Cabotage Act, Ugwuanyi noted that his committee would further consider the concerns of the agency on the need to amend the law and make it adaptable to the realities of Nigerian maritime sector, adding that the committee would soon present the amendments to the House for consideration.

While commending NIMASA for its continued support to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, the committee urged the agency to further support the aspiration of MAN to transform into a degree awarding institution, which the committee saw as a means of enhancing capacity development in the maritime sector.

Earlier in his presentation, Patrick Akpobolokemi, director general of NIMASA, said the agency’s budget performance showed an improved revenue profile as at October 31 compared to last year, indicating that the agency would meet its target before the end of the current fiscal year.

According to him, the agency in collaboration with the relevant security agencies had been able to fight the menace of piracy and illegal bunkering on the nation’s economy. This, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently signed with the Nigerian Air Force to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Navy, has helped in reducing the trend to the barest minimum.

“Not all the cases of reported hijacks, pirate attacks and robbery on our waters are genuine. Some of these cases are hyped to undermine us and shore up insurance premium on Nigerian inbound cargoes. We are not saying that piracy does not occur in our domain, but it is exaggerated. We are working tirelessly to reduce piracy and illicit crimes on our waterways through these collaborative efforts,” the NIMASA boss explained.

He further said that the agency during the period under review was able to enhance safety and security of the maritime domain through regular patrols; increase its tempo on building corps of qualified maritime professionals under the NSDP scheme; further its efforts on the establishment of Institutes of Maritime Studies in four universities, including a maritime university and a science and technical college, as well as the construction of a ship and dockyard.

Others are regular funding of MAN Oron, recruitment of qualified professionals in line with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) audit requirements, enhanced flag and port state administration, submission of the instruments of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 to the International Labour Organisation, and procurement of patrol boats through public private partnership arrangement.