The Principal Partner, Olisa Agbakoba Legal Chambers, Barr. Olisa Agbakobi (SAN) has called for the unbundling of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to enable it become more productive and efficient.
Agbakoba who made this call in Lagos said the call became necessary considering the dwindling performance of NIMASA as a result of numerous maritime administrative functions.
Barr. Agbakoba who is the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said NIMASA being the first Nigerian Maritime Agency swallowed the Government Inspector of Shipping functions stressing that even in its operational law, there were too many things, such as Cabotage, ship development, Cargo allocations, adding that safety and security as the function of Government Inspector of shipping yet NIMASA swallowed it up.
“NIMASA took over the permanent representation of Nigeria at the International Seabed Authority, which was created by the United Nations (UN) for the common exploitation of the natural resources of the high seas. The matter of cabotage enforcement is a huge job and should be an agency of its own. The Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) be appointed the regulator of Shipping in Nigeria”, Agbokoba argued.
Dr.Agbokoba who is also the Principal Partner of Olisa Agbokoba legal (OAL) maintained that the nation’s maritime safety and security issues were handled efficiently and effectively when government Inspector of Shipping were at the hem of affairs adding that they had skills to protect our nation’s waterways.
He urged the Federal government to look into the policy of shipping with a view to determine who does what noting that Nigeria needed to go back to international standard of practice ,where there was the maritime security and safety agency which Nigeria lacked.
