Expert Cautions NIMASA Over Delay In CoC Issuance For Seafarers’ After Examination

A maritime expert  and consultant to the International Labour Organization (ILO), Captain Thomas Kemewerigha has cautioned the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to improve on the issuance of Certificate of Competency (CoC) for seafarers’, saying delay in obtaining the credentials after the examination affect job placement of Nigerians.

 

Kemewerigha in an exclusive chat on Monday, lamented that NIMASA has failed in its responsibilities as a regulatory agency over delay to issue the certificate after the examination, noting that the bureaucratic nature of an average civil servants in government establishment has eaten deep in the system.

 

The former National President, Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association , maintained that the last examination written by seafarers’ last November has not been released by the apex maritime regulatory agency  and the seafaring fraternity are not comfortable with such lackluster attitude of management.

 

He queried what must be responsible for the delay , saying despite six months after the COC examination was written by the seafarers, there is no sign that the certificate would be issued to participants anytime soon.

 

The International Labour Organization expert, also frowned at the seafarers’ development programme organised and sponsored by NIMASA on behalf of Nigerian cadets  for oversea training, noting that acquisition of vessels for cadets in Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron , Akwa Ibom State and School of Oceanography in Lagos state respectively, can bridge the yearning gap in manpower development for seamen.

 

 

 

According to him,80% of the workforce in the sub sector are foreigners, saying  why do Nigerian seafarers need foreign ticket to work in there own country.

 

He said  “The unemployment rate in this country is quiet high and the multiplying effect is noticeable by all concerned today. The seafaring section that’s supposed to reduce the rate of unemployment is also in a bad shape Nigeria has the Mecca of global seafarers because of her resources and maritime operations in the options the issue of Nigerian seafarers not being employed is not supposed to be for the singular inability of the flag state to play their parts.

 

“I want to appeal with the management of NIMASA to release the last results of exams conducted since November last year and to avoid further reoccurrence.

 

“The past regimes of the flag state saw the shortfall of seafarers and decided to train young Nigerians as officers in foreign maritime institutions but today the huge sums of money can hardly be justified for the single fact that sea terms for the cadets is not available.

 

“If the billions used for the training was used to acquire two or three training vessels 4 Oron and oceanography cadets coming out on yearly basis that cold have in a way solved our capacity building in the maritime sector.

 

It is quite pitiful that our flag state is always doing things different from order flag States among which includes (1) conduct of examinations for COCs. It is only in Nigeria that you sit for COC exams and you wait for six months after orals to get your result out,is this the way of building capacity?

 

“Influx of artisans in the name of experts in the sector against certified Nigerians,you can never see it in any maritime state all in the name of waiver in the cabotage regime. (3) 80% of the workforce are foreigners why do Nigerian seafarers need foreign ticket to work in there own country.

 

” The authorities know why they can not revisit the scope of the certification,they should do the needful and pass IMO Audit due to legal implications on the existing framework as per the merchant shipping act and others.

 

He however, lauded efforts of NIMASA to approve some privately owned maritime institution to conduct the COC examination.

 

 

” I want to thank the current team for approving private maritime institutions that meets the requirements to conduct COC examinations that will really increase the capacity building we are talking about for government”,Kemewerigha stressed.