NIMASA raises hope on early passage of Anti-Piracy Bill — Pledges to intensify efforts to reposition maritime sector

By ZION Olalekan, Tayo Oladipupo    |    

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said that the draft Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offenses Bill facilitated by the agency has been forwarded to the National Assembly for passage into law.

He assured that the Bill would be passed into law before the expiration of the 8th Assembly in May 2019.

Peterside stated this while addressing Nigerian Judges at the 8th Strategic Admiralty Law Seminar for Judges held in Lagos yesterday.

The NIMASA DG also lamented that slow dispensation of justice in maritime related disputes has continued to discourage investors from Nigeria maritime sector.

He disclosed that the Anti-Piracy Bill essentially seeks to criminalise piracy and other related maritime crimes on Nigerian waters.

On Nigeria’s judicial processes and investment opportunities, the NIMASA DG stated that: “Nobody will want to invest in a place where it takes longer to have dispute resolution.

“Most times, when we go out to tell people to come and invest in Nigeria, they tell us that dispute will always arise because of the complexities of business transactions. They then tell us that if we are not sure that justice will be done in a timeless manner, they won’t come here to invest.

“I will, therefore, like to use this opportunity to appeal to our judges to facilitate timely resolution of dispute for maritime cases. If it takes two years to resolve the dispute over ownership of a vessel, by the time the verdict is ready after two years, the vessel is gone. The vessel has become a scrap. Will such people come again to invest in Nigeria? No.

“Timeliness is a big issue for maritime cases in Nigeria. Due to the lengthy time, it takes to resolve maritime cases here, people are losing huge capital and investments. Uncertainties over Nigeria’s justice system, uncertainties over Nigeria’s criminal administration system, and uncertainties over the timely dispensation of justice are making it difficult for us to convince investors to come to Nigeria.”

The Seminar for Judges had the theme ”Strengthening Nigeria’s Admiralty Regime Through Effective Implementation of International Maritime and Labour Instruments” and it was held in partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS)

Speaking further, the NIMASA DG disclosed that NIMASA has ratified 40 Conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Maritime safety, maritime labour and maritime environment management.

He also stated that 19 of the conventions have been domesticated.

“We are already working with the Federal Ministry of Transportation under the auspices of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to ratify an additional six IMO conventions before the end of 2019 to ensure that Nigeria as an IMO member state fulfils its treaty obligation” he said.

Meanwhile, NIMASA has promised to intensify its efforts to reposition the maritime industry in Nigeria, even as it promises to make the agency a leading maritime administration in Africa.

The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, stated in Lagos during the Independent Newspapers Awards 2018, where the agency bagged the Federal Agency of the Year Award.

In a press statement made available to the media by the Head, Corporate Communication of the agency, Isichei Osamgbi in Lagos, Dakuku said, “We are spurred by this award and we appreciate the fact that our efforts to revitalise the maritime sector through our medium term strategy plan are yielding results. We will redouble our efforts to ensure that the quest of the Federal Government to diversify the economy gets the required support from the maritime sector and its stakeholders, as it portends several opportunities for economic growth and development.”

The DG, was represented at the event by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Bashir Jamoh,

Dakuku appealed to the media to continue to spotlight the federal government efforts to reposition the economy, adding that the media remained critical in the actualisation of the government’s quest for economic diversification and development.

The Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Independent Newspapers Limited, Mr. Ade Ogidan, said NIMASA had maintained a high level of transparency, particularly, in financial matters.

Ogidan said, “Before, the agency cut the figure of an organisation that was riddled with corruption and all kinds of underhand practices. But the recent report of a huge and noticeable increase in revenue generation from NIMASA is a big testimony of its unalloyed commitment to playing a prominent role in the overall development of the country.”

Ogidan highlighted some of the reasons the agency was selected for the award, to include her significant contributions to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government, its quest for excellence through capacity building and promotion of staff, and automation of processes in the agency, among others.

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