More than two years of his appointment, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has introduced New NIMASA Cabotage Compliance Strategy (NCCS) towards the actualization of a successful coastal and inland trade regime.
This seems to be coming barely two day after Business Hilights had published a report titled: “Stakeholders’ want Peterside to face NIMASA, leave Rivers Politics alone”. The report was carried last week Thursday.
The new drive, according to him, is to ensure full implementation of the Cabotage Act, 2003 for the actualization of a successful coastal and inland trade regime.
A statement from the agency, quoted the DG as noting that the new move is to secure jobs for qualified Nigerians in the maritime sector, saying “with the NCCS regime, the Agency shall no longer consider applications for grant of waiver on manning for prescribed categories of officers in vessels engaged in Cabotage trade”.
“The era of foreigners taking over jobs that Nigerians are qualified for in the maritime sector is over. The NCCS will point a new direction to our Cabotage regime as the Agency will no longer consider application for grant of waiver on manning requirements for vessels engaged in coastal trade with regards to 2nd officer, 2nd engineer, 2nd mate down to able seamen, ratings and stewards.
Peterside added further that special applications for Captains, Chief Engineers, Chief Officers, First Mate in the absence of qualified Nigerians shall be considered on merit, but on the condition that such organization will make a plan to train a Nigerian and put in place a transition plan to ensure that the Nigerian takes over the job within one year.
