“We have not succeeded if one of us is drowning in operational incapacity, inadequate funding/deficiencies”

The visit by the Director General Of The Nigerian Maritime Administration And Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, to the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS   Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abass, at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja recently has elicited discussions among maritime stakeholders as professional and operators express their views on; not the visit but the fall out of the meeting described as strategic between the two helmsmen.

As pens and key pads go abuzz on headline casting,  as reporters and editors clash over scintillating headlines and as publishers attempt to outdo one another on how punchy or catchy their headlines are-with typos freely repeated-adorned in flowing cloaks of verbosity, Monday Mooring, MM, revisit the visit.

According to the NIMASA DG,  “It is important that we continue our partnership and strengthen our relationship. Our purpose here is to congratulate you, and to discuss the benefits of the Deep Blue Project; how to sustain it, expand it, and increase its impact on the Gulf of Guinea”

“We are confident that we have the backing of the President, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, and the Nigerian Navy, hence, we are working towards presenting our proposal on the necessary improvements to be undertaken,” he stated.

Reiterating the importance and reliability of the project, the NIMASA DG said, “The Deep Blue Project is vital and countries around Africa and some other parts of the world are coming to copy our model. The IMO is asking how a civilian organization was able to achieve this feat. It is therefore important that we continue to collaborate and do even better for greater sustainability”

Typical of military men, the CNS didn’t talk much. “Part of my command’s objective is to work in synergy with other agencies to achieve our goal as a country. We complement each other. We have no option rather than collaborate and synergize” he declared.

In achieving our national goals as a country, there is so much more to be done. The Deep Blue Project has been applauded within and outside Nigeria. Nonetheless, it is our view that the Assets be more professionally handled and efficiently deployed.

For Instance, are there pilots on standby in NAMASA ready to fly within minutes? Are there ship captains and engineers, seafarers and qualified crew ready to launch any time signal is received? What is our level of preparedness for emergencies?

Has the issues of deployment of the Assets be resolved between NIMASA and the Navy?

How efficient/effective is the Command, Control, Computer, Communication, and Intelligence (C4i) Center  in the areas of surveillance, data analysis, and inter-agency collaboration/coordination even as crude oil theft haunts the economy? How come smuggling of illicit drugs and other prohibited items manage to thrive on the waterways? Is the C4i and other monitoring equipment blind to the inland waterways and creeks?

Why does the National Inland waterways Authority, NIWA, appears so incapacitated and the extensive, inter connected waterways glaringly, very grossly underutilized?

Is it not time to launch Inland Waterways Assets to enhance broader utilizations of the Inland waterways?

Have we succeeded if one/some of us are drowning and wallowing in misery, pains-embroiled in perpetual mourning?

Could all agencies under the ministry of marine and blue economy work closer together to achieve our National Goals as stated by the Chief of Naval Staff?

The Minister in charge is His Excellency,, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON. All documents, reports, proposals and approvals are on his table as we await the arrival of the fibre ghostly boats for which N14.6billion has been allegedly? approved.