Former Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, barrister Temisan Omatseye has reiterated that lack of local discharge capacity is adversely affecting the distribution of petroleum products in the country.

Speaking at this year’s Day with Maritime Students, organized by Platform Communications, Omatseye revealed that over two billion litres of imported petroleum products await discharge and distribution by the Nigerian National petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

According to Omatseye, the vessels which brought these products cannot berth at the ports because of the shallow navigational channels leading to Nigerian ports.

Omatseye said local capacity is needed to take these products from the tanker that brought them. This will not only develop local shipping capacity but will also provide huge employment opportunities for Nigerian Cadets and other maritime professionals.

On the issues of insecurity globally, the former NIMASA boss hinted that the criminals disturbing vessels/crew on Nigerian waters are not ghosts but citizens who live ashore, go to sea to commit crimes and return ashore.

The solution, he said, is to tackle the menace at shore and keep criminals off Nigerian waters.

Asked what happened to the MOU NIMASA has with the Military, Omatseye said the MOU is intact and in operation. The availability of Platforms, personnel and required resources to patrol the waters are challenges which require joint national efforts to implement.

On the traffic gridlock in Apapa, the ship owner submitted that the solution is in making use of sea ports in other parts of the country such as Calabar, Port-Harcourt and Warri.

In his words “Truck owners/divers are like honey and bees/sugar/ants-where one is you find the other. Therefore, if you carry out redistribution efficiently, trucks/drivers will disperse from Apapa in pursuit of cargo and Apapa will be decongested”.

Omateseye expressed firm belief that the Nigerian maritime industry holds enormous economic opportunities which, if properly harnessed, would contribute much more to the national Gross Domestic Product, GDP and transform the economy beyond expectations.

He extended his professional support to the development of the Lekki Port and the one at Ibaka. He said these deep sea ports when fully operational will undoubtedly make Nigeria the cargo hub in the West African Sub region and put an end to the dilemma of cargo diversion from Nigeria.

Other maritime stakeholders such Chris Asoluka, Otunba Kunle Folarin, Jean Chiazor Anishere, Emeka Akabugu, and many others while bemoaning the dearth of maritime professionals called for the strengthening of Nigerian Maritime Training Institutions.

They Called on NIMASA to deemphasize training of Cadets abroad because empowering the youths with technical capacity without employment opportunities poses security concerns in Nigeria’s maritime dormain.