Merchant Seafarers justify collection of ‘War Risk’ Charge by foreign vessels

By Dapo Olawuni

The Merchant Seafarers Association of Nigeria has given reasons why the ‘War Risk’ charge levied on Nigerian shippers may not stop anytime soon.

Secretary General of the Association, a maritime security expert and Anti Piracy Security Service (APASS) official, Capt Alfred Oniye in a chat with our correspondent in Lagos yesterday, noted that presently, 90% of vessels doing business globally do not want to enter into the Gulf of Guinea because of the rising spate of attacks on ships.

He described Nigeria as the headquarters of piracy and illegal activities in Gulf of Guinea. According to him, when the pirates finish operating on the international waters, they come back to Nigeria and rest.

Nigeriamaritime360.com recalls that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council last week convened a meeting with the Global Shippers Forum to discuss the war risk charge.

The Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, who made this known, said the charges were too high and most times unwarranted.

He said the reports were mostly not correct, adding that during the compilation of the piracy list, Nigeria was usually not consulted.

But speaking with our correspondent in Apapa yesterday, Capt Oniye argued that for shipping lines to stop collection of war risk charge from shippers, the nation’s flag administration, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) the Navy as well as necessary government agencies must change their strategy in fighting the piracy.

While justifying the collection of war risk charges, he said “You cannot call it a rip off, our slogan in the maritime sector is “safety first” you should not wait until something happens before you prevent it, you have to prevent it from happening at all”

“I am an Anti Piracy Security Service (APASS) and a maritime security specialist, there are certain things we know on this waters that are not known to people outside.
Right now, no vessel owner is ready to stick his head into the Gulf of Guinea when he is not sure of recovering his losses, if there could be any losses and their is no way he could recover it, he would not stick his head out”

“It is a fifty-fifty game, you and I know that our maritime security challenge is in-house, there are no thieves outside, they are inside”

“You cannot call it a ripoff because when you have a country where they don’t obey the international law of the sea or international maritime laws, they believe they are above the law, I got a message yesterday from America and I know the details in that message. Presently, 90% of vessels do not want to enter into Gulf of Guinea, especially Nigerian waters, recently, India warned their seafarers to steer clear of Gulf of Guinea”

“What we should be looking at is how to change our strategy, one thing is to know the right strategy and another thing is to chose not to follow it because it won’t fetch you more money”

Capt Oniye alleged that right now, the federal government is still engaging in ordinary political gimmicks and jamboree to embezzle public funds, adding that maritime security does not require the steps being taken by the could try currently.

He argued that every professional seafarer in the country is a potential pirate or militant, saying that a novice can not operate or mastermind a ship hijack on the waters.

He argued that “The professional seafarers have been out of job for several months, some for five years, it was not as bad as this before”

“Global West Limited had up to 400 seafarers in its employment, they were formally militants, but they were trained to become professionals, the question is; when Global West contract was cancelled, did anybody ever asked what happened to the seafarers?”

“NIMASA actually achieved great success back then because global west was using these boys who understand the waters and they know the thieves on the sea”

“It was easy to arrest, hijack and take over any vessel, these boys are smart, but you have now disengaged them, they are professionals they are seafarers, this is not the job of Navy, maritime security is not about guns”

Capt Oniye said the situation is more worrisome because 10% of the cadets produced from Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron Akwa Ibom State, finished from NMS (Nigeria Military School) in Zaria.

He said, at NMS, the cadets have been exposed to different kinds of weapons, but when they finish from Oron, there is no job for them