…Sends SOS to Minister of Transport
Families of missing sailors that drowned during an accident involving their tanker ;MT. Tank and another MT. Elixir have accused the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) of bribery for failing to divulge useful information about the escaped ship (MT Elixir).
The families are also appealing to the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotime Ameachi to ask the regulatory agency its reasons for allowing the vessel to sail out of the country despite the incident that claimed one life and eight others missing.
Speaking to journalists over the weekend in Lagos, wife to one of missing crew, Mrs. Esther Edoloro lamented that NIMASA was in possession of all necessary information about the ship saying that it would be incompetent on the part of the agency to say it has no document about the ship on Nigerian waters.
“I don’t even know what NIMASA is doing in this matter honestly. To me, they have collected bribe from the other vessel MT Elixir because I don’t see any reason why they will just release the other vessel without even giving us concrete information about the vessel.”
“Even my lawyer has been asking them for the information; they refused to give any information about the other company which is not supposed to be. They are supposed to carry us along because this is human life we are talking about for the past three months,” she added
According to her, the lawyer had been demanding for information about the whisked vessel but NIMASA had refused to release details about the incident and the vessel in particular.
“My lawyer has served them (NIMASA) two papers before and the one is he going to serve them on Monday will be the third one.”
” No response yet despite all the papers he has served them”.
She also expressed confidence in the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Ameachi, urging him to look into the matter and quiz NIMASA for hoarding such vital information.
“What I know is that NIMASA has collected money from the other vessel.When my lawyer was talking to the company’s lawyer, even the company’s lawyer wants to sue NIMASA because they are not giving them concrete information, they are not giving them the information they need to go on with the case.”
“I believe NIMASA has collected money from MT Elixir that is why they kept silence. That is the reason why they are not saying anything; they don’t want to step into the matter. I don’t know if there will be a way for me to reach our new transport minister, I will be very happy because I know he will do something about it”, she lamented.
When asked about her expectation from the Transport Minister on the case, Mrs Edoloro affirmed that, “I want him to look into this matter, let them bring out the information about the other vessel so that we will know what we are doing. At least with his help, I believe NIMASA will bring out all the information about the other vessel because I believe that whichever vessel that is coming into Nigeria water, NIMASA has their records. They are supposed to give concrete information about other vessel so that we can know what we are doing. I want the minister to prevail on NIMASA to bring out the information we need.That is, the name of the company that the other vessel is representing with other things. That is what we want them to do for us.”
Responding via telephone chat over the weekend, Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Hajia Lami Tumaka said that lawyers to all concerned parties are meeting on the way forward.
She said the lead lawyers of the two ships are talking even as she urged our correspondent to send an email on the questions.
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