…Advocate for workshop for ship owners, managers
The Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, NAMM has thrown its weight behind the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola over his plans to automate the Nigerian ship registry to boost shipping development in Nigeria, describing it as the way to go to get it better.
Recall that the Director General had at a meeting with the maritime industry stakeholders held in Lagos last week, reassured shipowners that the Agency is committed to expediting the automation of the ship registry, a move that will significantly boost shipping development in Nigeria by enhancing efficiency and streamlining processes.
Speaking in a chat with our correspondent in Lagos on Monday, the President of NAMM, Captain Tajudeen Alao submitted that 90 percent of those coming to register ships don’t know the processes, and so, don’t come with requisite documents when they come for registration.
Noting that tax clearance is a prerequisite when coming to register a ship, Alao regretted that most of them do not come with complete documents stating that by the time the documents get to the Director General of NIMASA’s office, on a closer look at the date on them, one is bound to discover that the tax clearance has expired and so, they would be sent back.
“They will have to start afresh to get tax clearance and by the time they get tax clearance, the statutory certificate they are bringing has expired”, he said.
He posited that with automation, the processes would be streamlined and properly spelt out such that difficulties associated with filing of documents will be eliminated and efficiency of the process enhanced.
Noting that the people handling ship registration are equally not professionals, the NAMM boss said, “Nigeria operates closed registry and operates hybrid – which means they allow bear boat charter and they allow these other ones. But under our law, it is closed registry: you must be a Nigerian, resident in Nigeria, owning some stakes in the company.
“It’s not an open registry where anybody can go and register a ship. All other places, they are talking about open registry, anybody can register there online. And they won’t survey the ship before they register you. They will just rely on certificates.
“One thing they do in Nigeria is that they look at annual endorsements . The certificate is expiring in five years, but the annual endorsement is missing, it’s invalid. So, Nigeria will look at that, they are very thorough in their processes but the only snag is if at the point of entry the documents are correct, then it should be allowed. May be the ship is here, it’s going to trade and all that and if there is delay, then they ask you to bring another document, and then, there will be more delays, then another document and if the ship does not have a valid trading certificate, it cannot come over and register. If the ship does not have an existing class, it cannot come in our register.
“So, you are coming in with nationality, with valid documents to come on Nigerian register. You cannot come from phantom, from an abandoned ship without class, without history into the Nigerian registry. So, the automation of the ship registry is the way to get it better”, he stated.
Captain Alao who disclosed that most people especially lawyers who take briefs don’t have clue, observed that they need to tell technical people who will look at their certificates from day one and make sure all the documents are correct before they are presented.
“But when you just give it to a lawyer,, the lawyer will just take it and bring it to NIMASA without knowing what to do”, he added.
Insisting that there is nothing wrong with the Nigerian ship registry, he said, “The fact is that if a ship is not seaworthy, it cannot come on Nigerian register. They must have a valid documents and they must be surveyed.”
On the independence of ship registry, Also said, “All over the world, the ship registry is a big office. The Merchant Shipping Act; surveyors, superintendents, shipping Master and Register of ships is in Merchant Shipping Act, it’s a big office of it’s own for any maritime nation. So, the ROS should have a building like this but it can only work with safety department since we operate what is called Maritime Administration – MARAD which is NIMASA then, the registry must be under the safety department but now it’s under the DG, meaning that when all these documents are filed, the safety, the surveyors and the register of ships should work hand in hand. But it is under DG office
“And if the people there are not knowledgeable, then, they will delay the process. They think you can give a fiat, register it and it will be registered. No! Even in the DG’s office, they have a unit that check for the validity of all the documents but the delay and one document has expired and you have to start all over again, that is the problem.
“So, they need to do a workshop where the ship owners must work with ship managers, according to the law who will advise them on the documents. Another is when they do that to clear the registration, if you are coming for Cabotage, they have to bring the same set of documents. Remember that some of them may have expired, when you are going to special register, they ask you to bring the same set of documents. It’s not done anywhere in the world.
“Once the ship is registered, all the other documents must flow to those units.because the documents may not be valid along the line but it’s the same document – Director’s Declaration, tax clearance, Form 6, Form 7, Form 8, Insurance and so on. The same documents at different times. Whereas if you do it at the first instance of registration, you accept the documents like that. Then, the Enforcement will follow up on whether they renew certificate or not”, he concluded.
Photo: Captain Tajudeen Alao, President Nigerian Association of Master Mariners.
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