Former National President,Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association , Captain Thomas Kemewerigha has accused the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA over alleged failure to enforce the cabotage act in the nation’s territorial water.
Kemewerigha an International Labour Convention (ILO) consultant in a chat with DAILYFOCUS NIGERIA over the weekend lamented that expatiate have dominated shipping activities in Nigeria without the flag state playing any major role in the enforcement of the cabotage laws.
According to him, seafarers were without jobs while foreign crew were trading in coastal and inland waters with cargoes.
He alleged that some vessels trading on Nigerian water are manned and crew by foreigners without any single Nigerian aboard.
The labour leader also disclosed that Onne waters are dominated with foreigners onboard ships without any checks from from the flag states.
He lamented that the situation was pathetic for Nigerian seafarers roaming about the streets, calling on the flag state to beef up enforcement in reviving cabotage operating in the country.
Kemewerigha noted that “The cabotage regime was suppose to be the last hope of the Nigerian seafarers and cadets inclusive but now is a cause to us all as most seafarers don’t have hope of survival due to expatriates taking over of their jobs.
” Our cabotsge era is a failure yet NIMASA says waivers are not granted.
“I strongly stand to be corrected or challenged on this information. One, representative of the foreign company Cand i and Petro services are all foreigners.
” Secondly, the port of operation is Onne and thirdly, the vessel names are (1)Levoli Coral (2) Levoli Grey and many more , crew on board these ships are Italians and Ukraine from captain to cooks”,he alleged .
“This situation is really pathetic seeing how our seafarers are roaming about the streets, I wish and pray the flag state will beaf up yo expectations”,he lamented.
