Calls For Robust Safety Regime

Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua (rtd.), Rector, MAN

The Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Commodore Duja Effedua Emmanuel (rtd) has called for stiffer sanctions on violators of safety regulation and standards in the Nigeria maritime domain in order to save lives and ensure a safer operational environment for ships and crew which operate along the vast Nigerian coastline and the Gulf of Guinea.

Representative of the Rector, Mr. Eto Gabriel receiving the CIoTA Award to the Academy from the CIoTa President, Dr. Bashir Jamoh at the Summit

Speaking at the 3rd national transport summit organised by the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria of Nigeria, CIoTA, Effedua, who was represented by Mr. Eto Gabriel, Ag. Director, School of Maritime Transport Studies, said the time has come to put measures in place which will ensure that safety rules and regulations are strictly adhered to and observe diligently to save the lives of maritime professionals.

Canvassing for enhanced safety measures, the Rector said “The regulation of international maritime transport for the safety of merchant ships started in the wake of the Titanic incident on the 15th April, 1912 in the Atlantic Ocean”.

“This disaster that claimed over 1500 lives marked the beginning of maritime safety regulation with the codification of the International Convention for the Safety of Lives at Sea (SOLAS).

“Since then, three other international pillars for national maritime laws, namely Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for Seafarers (STCW), Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) and International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), have emerged”.

While decrying the alarming level of sea criminalities on the waters, Commodore Effedua advanced ideas on how to ensure safety on the Nigerian waterways.

“For our waters (internal and territorial) to be safe, we must ensure that ships under our flag comply with stipulated requirements”.

“We must adopt the objectives of the SOLAS Convention by specifying minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of water crafts compatible with their safety”.

“This would reduce to the barest minimum the presence of wrecks and derelicts in our waters, which have aided maritime criminality posed great hazards to navigation and consequently cost the government huge amounts of money to remove”.

While lamenting the reoccuring boat mishaps which continue to claim lives across the country, the MAN boss called for a robust safety regime for the industry to curtail such ugly incidents.

Effedua also noted that safety hazards and practices in the inland waters transport sector in Nigeria have attracted the attention of stakeholders following incessant boat mishaps.

“The use of incompetent boat operators, inadequate scrutiny of watercrafts operators, the presence of water weeds, non-compliance to alcohol and drug policies by operators, the use of technically unfit water crafts, among others factors, have been identified as most prevalent maritime hazards in Nigeria”

The Rector therefore called on CIoTA to rise to the challenge by providing solutions to halt the ugly trend.

“This year’s summit provides CIOTA the opportunity to amplify the message concerning the need for the regulatory authorities to strengthen the regulatory powers of the Port State Control Inspection as the last line of protective layer against substandard shipping in our waters”

“We therefore join concerned maritime stakeholders to appeal to CIoTA to use its professional skills to provide specialist counsel to operators on the need to emphasize training and engagement of competent boat operators”

“There is need to also onstruct standard jetties and ensure standard and regular maintenance of water crafts”.

“The continuous sensitization and enlightenment campaign programmes aimed at promoting safety of operations on the waterways must be sustained on a regular basis to eliminate the loss of lives and property”, Effedua said.