…Wants training for Officers
The Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has given the Federal Government a pat on the back over its effort to reduce the incidences of piracy and sea robbery on the nation’s waterways in the year 2014.
The National President of the association, Engr. Matthew Alalade who made this known in a chat with newsmen in Lagos stated that cases of piracy attacks on the Nigerian waterways was on the decline compared to what it used to be in the last four years that preceded 2014.
Alalade who was full of praise for the federal government noted that the government tried its best in securing the waterways so that people would move freely and transact their businesses without being molested by anyone.
On the pockets of attacks witnessed towards the tail end of 2014 and early this year in the Niger-Delta, the Merchant Navy boss has this to say,” this thing had been there for some time now but it will not go down just like that. Actually, you may see some rearing their heads but I am assuring you that with the effort of the government now, it will soon be a thing of the past. It won’t go down that easily”.
“Moreover, I believe that the ones coming up now is having a political undertone but I believe it will soon come down because the federal government has strived to arrest the situation in the past”.
In the area of training in the maritime sector, Alalade observed that although the Federal Government through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had done well in training the seafarers, it should also extend such training to the officers’ cadre so as to bridge the yearning gap.
“But there is a yearning gap in the offices’ cadre, between the Captain and the officers’ cadre, from Chief Engineer to the Officers’ cadre. So, that one, since the demise of NNSL, we have not had any training for the Nigerian Officers and many of them are aging”.
“So, nobody to fill that gap and we call ourselves the hub of West African sub-region, yet we don’t have people to manage the officers Cadre”, he said.
He further appealed to the Federal Government to acquire vessels both for training and commercial purposes so that by so doing, the gap could be bridged even as he suggested a Public Private partnership in managing those vessels to be purchased.
“It is better for us to have a Public Private Partnership because if we leave it for the government to run, it will go the way of NNSL but let it be a Public Private Partnership. Let the government have some percentage and the private sector higher percentage so that it can function well”.
“But they must bear in mind that they are doing it for the citizens of this country in terms of employment. They must bear in mind the Local Content as in the Cabotage Law”, he submitted.
On his expectations for the industry this year, Alalade has this to say,” the government should also encourage the indigenous ship owners to operate here in Nigeria because most of the vessels operating now, they go to the neighbouring countries to carry out their operations there”.
