Following the recent attack on a tanker vessel named, ‘Nave Constellation’, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has expressed its readiness to fast-track the maritime security architecture.
The Agency, according to the Director General of the Agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, also says the Agency is working with relevant partners to ensure the crew onboard are secured and safe.
He spoke in Abuja on Thursday, on the sidelines of the ongoing National Transportation Summit, organised by the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA).
He stated that the tanker was attacked off the coast of Bonny with 19 persons alleged to have been abducted, leaving nine crew members onboard the vessel.
“The operators of the vessel made contact with NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy and we immediately went to work”, he said.
He noted that the vessel owners had operated for ten days, within our territorial waters yet didn’t establish contact with the Harbour Masters.
It also didn’t establish contact with the authorities in Nigeria.
“However, that isn’t an issue because life is more precious than any other consideration. We have also immediately contacted the naval unit around that area and they have gone to work. The Navy has established contact with the remaining crew members onboard the vessel and the nine persons onboard the vessel are safe and the vessel is safe”.
The DG who lamented that this is happening at a time that efforts are being put together to make Nigerian waterways safe gave the assurance that the Agency will not rest on its oars.
“I think this would ultimately serve as catalyst for us to fast-track what we are doing to safeguard our waterways so that commerce can thrive again and people can do economic activities without fear or hindrance”.
While sympathizing with the victims and their families for the ordeal and challenges of being kidnapped, he urged every concerned citizen and stakeholders to come together and work with NIMASA and relevant security Agencies to end the menace.
It may be recalled that Nigeria recently hosted a Global Maritime Security Conference (GMSC) where several engagement with stakeholders from all over the world, on the global maritime scale towards enhancing collaboration among maritime nations in order to find lasting solution to the security issues on the Gulf of Guinea and on the entire West and Central Africa.
