As the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), awaits release of funds to acquire the 12 fast intervention vessels and three helicopters approved for it by the Federal Government for the protection of Nigeria’s maritime environment; PAUL OGBUOKIRI reports that the six battleships and other platforms acquired for the agency by Global West Vessel Specialists Limited (GWVSL), including its helicopter are currently rotting away
If the recent announcement by the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside is anything to go by, the Agency would soon acquire three helicopters and 12 fast intervention vessels to ensure coastal and aerial surveillance and patrol of the Nigerian maritime environment by the Nigerian Navy, supported by the Nigeria Airforce.
There has been an upsurge in piracy and sea robbery after the 2015 general elections with the coast of Bayelsa not only becoming the hottest spot in the Nigerian maritime domain, but also one of the most dangerous waterways in the world.
The situation had forced local fishermen and fishing trawler companies to reduce their activities thereby placing a threat on over 15,000 direct jobs created by the fishing sector.
Piracy and sea robbery (including oil theft) is not new on Nigerian waters, it became a menace as a consequence of the Nigeria Delta militancy of 2003 to 2009, but the government seemed determined in fighting them until 2015 when there was an upsurge in the activities of the sea robbers
This came as with over 20 reported attacks on vessels in the first nine months of 2017, prompting the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) to declare Nigeria a hotspot for pirates and sea robbers. IMB, in report, stated that 16 of the 20 attacks occurred off the coast of Brass, Bonny and Bayelsa.
The global maritime watchdog also said that guns were used in 18 of the incidents and vessels were underway in 17 of the 20 reported attacks. IMB further stated that 39 of the 49 crew members kidnapped globally 
occurred off Nigerian waters in seven separate incidents.
Other crew kidnappings in 2017 have been reported 60 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria. According to Pottengal Mukundan, Director of IMB: “In general, all waters in and off Nigeria remain risky, despite intervention in some cases by the Nigerian Navy.
We advise vessels to be vigilant. The number of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea could be even higher than our figures as many incidents continue to be unreported.” However, it could be in government’s determination to restore order on the nation’s waters that the Federal Government in May 2017 approved the procurement of 12 intervention vessels and three helicopters for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to fight piracy and other illegal activities on the country’s territorial waters.
No effective counter-piracy action had been taken by NIMASA since the Federal Government about two and half years ago terminated the previous administration’s controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global West Vessels Specialists Limited (GWVSL), owned by fugitive, Chief Governor Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo).
The NIMASA helmsman promised to acquire fast-moving platforms for cabotage enforcement in October after he was confronted with a huge lapse in caboatge enforcement during his recent tour of the zones.
He had said: “As part of efforts by the Federal Government of Nigeria in demonstrating its commitment to fighting piracy and other maritime crimes, the sum of $186 million was recently approved for maritime security infrastructure.”
He further said: “While acknowledging the fact that piracy is a global problem which is not peculiar to one continent or country, the need for a concerted and coordinated approach in tackling the menace cannot be overstated.”
But industry players are asking questions why security of the Nigerian waterways is left to be an issue of unnecessary rhetoric for so long a time when the agency was supposed to have in its fleet the six fast-speed Hauk-class guided missile boats, rearmed with new weapons, acquired for the agency by the GWVSL, the company said to be owned by a former Niger Delta militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo.
Norwegian newspaper, Dagbladet, which broke the news of the sale of the battleships in 2014, disclosed that though the fleet had been decommissioned, they remain sophisticated battleships and combat boats.
National outrage trailed the revelation then as it was argued that Tompolo been a former militant, it was dangerous allowing him take possession of such vessels, even though GWVSL acquired the vessels on behalf of NIMASA under its contract (MoU) with the agency to acquire patrol platforms, bunker, maintain and crew them for the agency for the duration of the MoU.
All the platforms acquired revert back to NIMASA at the end of the contract. President Muhammadu Buhari cancelled the contract on assumption of office in 2015.
As questions are being raised over the platforms, similar questions are also being raised over the NIMASA helicopter which is said to be rotting away and its insurance is also said to have expired. Investigations reveal that the aircraft, which was procured in 2008, is grounded and idling away at the Nigerian Navy Airbase in Ojo.
The Augusta AW 139 Helicopter, which has a carrying capacity for 10 including the pilot and co-pilot, was procured to boost Nigeria’s capacity to secure her maritime domain.
It was also expected to respond to emergencies like pollution control functions of the agency in areas where other modes of transportation would have taken longer time to address as well as performing reconnaissance duties.
Despite the increasing rate of piracy and kidnappings on Nigeria’s waters, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has failed to deploy its search and rescue helicopter for aerial surveillance.
Though the agency has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Air Force for aerial patrol, nothing is being said about its own aircraft whose insurance is believed to have expired.
Maritime expert and President Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (CMDLCA), Mr. Lucky Amiwero expressed worry that in over two years of the incumbent management the agency failed to deploy the patrol pla tforms it acquired through its former MoU with GWVSL while its helicopter acquired with billions of naira would have been put to use for aerial surveillance.
“We are faced with same old rot of government officials not being interested in achieving results but just in contracts awards and kickbacks.
They left the equipment acquired with taxpayers millions of dollars to rot away, while they wait to acquire fresh ones. If this administration finishes its own, another one will come abandon what is on ground, wait till the situation becomes very bad, then, it will rush to Abuja with a proposal for the purchase of new equipment,” he said.
Source: newtelegraphonline
