Best form of repositioning NIMASA is to disburse TMF, CVFF, Experts tell DG
Leading maritime stakeholders have described the definition of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency’s (NIMASA) core mandate of advancing Nigeria’s global maritime goals by the Director General, Dr Dakuku Peterside as false.
The DG had at a media chat in Port Harcourt at the weekend, claimed that “we are putting a lot of structures in place to ensure the Agency remains on a sound footing and our efforts have attracted commendation from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and stakeholders within and outside the maritime sector. We can only get better in our determination to make the Agency perform the functions for which it was set up and make it the leading maritime administration in Africa. This is why we are continuously working hard and poised to making Nigerians reap the benefits of the sector”.
Speaking further, the NIMASA DG said that the transformation of the Agency has been phenomenal in terms of repositioning and revenue generation, stating that NIMASA is among the top five agencies contributing to the coffers of the Federal Government.
However, in an interview, Mr. Lucky Amiwero objected Petersides’s definition of NIMAS’s core mandate, saying by the Act establishing the agency, “the mandate of NIMASA is to develop indigenous shipping industry with resources within its powers”.
“Key in the resources of NIMASA for the development of local shipping capacity includes The Maritime Fund (TMF) and Cabotage Vessels Financing Fund (CVFF) which are statutorily domiciled in NIMASA.
He said the CVFF for more than 10 years of its introduction has not been substantially accessed by any shipper and the inaccessibility is affecting vessel acquisition capacities of shippers. He said NIMASA cannot continue to confuse Nigerians on the core mandates of NIMASA as the duties of the agency are clearly written down in the establishment Act which is well known to every stakeholder in the industry.
Other stakeholders’ who spoke to our correspondents’ also disagreed with NIMASA DG, saying time has come for the former House member to stop contradicting gazette issues with personal definitions.
Majority of experts that commented on the matter on Tuesday, called for the immediate disbursement of the TMF and CVFF so that indigenous shippers can acquire new vessels to compete favourably in the Central and West Coast maritime business.
