The Director-General, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh had said that there is need to be relentless in the fight against maritime crime and insecurity.
Jamoh said this at the Launching of Maritime Assets and Commissioning of Administrative Building.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me to start by asserting that truly, persistency pays. The Late Maya Angelou is credited to have said that “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated”.
“It is bearing this notion in mind that has over the past four years fuelled our determination as an agency at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and as a nation in its entirety, to be persistent and relentless in the fight against maritime crime and insecurity while also striving at making our waterways and general maritime ecosystem safe.
“We have from the very beginning of our administration reckoned that attaining a Blue Economy is pivotal to the growth and development of the nation.
“It was equally important that while we had our vision set on achieving something great, we simultaneously took cognizance of the damaging impact that piracy, kidnapping of seafarers, smuggling, illegal oil bunkering, robbery at sea and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing has had on our maritime profile.
“The Gulf of Guinea which Nigeria is a major stakeholder was notorious for piratical attacks and used to be referred to as the “world’s hotspot” for piracy.
“The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2634 which called for a crackdown on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
“By the year 2022, cases of piracy and other maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea had significantly reduced as only about 3 cases of piracy were recorded while none of the cases was attributable to Nigeria.
“The International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Center (IMB PRC) regarded this as a positive trend. This equally meant that the year 2022 was a successful year for Nigeria in the fight against piracy and other maritime crime and same should be regarded as a milestone for the Buhari-led administration.
“The success of 2022 can only be credited to the tremendous effort of the Federal Government in terms of provision of infrastructures which is best enveloped as the Deep Blue Project.
“The Deep Blue project is a $195 million investment towards vessels, Maritime Domain Awareness platforms, and land and air and sea assets.
“The land assets comprises the Command, Control, Computer, Communication, and Intelligence (C4i) Centre for domain awareness and intelligence gathering, 16 armored vehicles for coastal patrol, and a 600-strong Maritime Security Unit specially trained for interdiction.
“The air assets comprises two Special Mission Aircraft (SMA) for surveillance of the EEZ, three Special Mission Helicopters (SMHs) for search and rescue, and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) while the sea assets comprises two Special Mission Vessels (SMVs) and 17 Fast Interceptor Boats (FIBs).
“The Deep Blue Project which has tremendously boosted the rate of safety of the waterways was an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Transportation and Federal Ministry of Defense, implemented by NIMASA, with personnel drawn from the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, and other security agencies.
“There is no Gainsaying that the project is the most significant commitment by any Gulf of Guinea country to date and the impact is crystal clear for all to see.
“Beyond the strides at overcoming maritime crime at the Gulf of Guinea, the management and safety of the Nigerian Inland Waterways equally deserves attention as NIMASA is committed to ensuring the waterways are safe for local transportation and other leisure activities so that more internal revenues are generated.
“It is important to keep the inland waterways free of waste and pollutants so as to ensure they remain navigable in addition to keeping them secured from perpetrators of maritime crime.
“Notwithstanding the foregoing giant strides and the current state of security, the golden rule is that one must be persistent to remain successful.
“It is within the bearing of this frame of mind that we hinge the significance of today’s launching of the following:5 new Patrol/Security Boats.5 Refurbished Search and Rescue/Pollution Control BoatsThe Commissioning of Search and Rescue ClinicThe Commissioning of an Administrative Building
“The inclusion of the Security/Patrol boats along with the Search and Rescue/Pollution control boats to the Deep Blue Project assets are particularly with intent to intensify the internal security of the waterways with the inclusion of the Pollution control boats taking into cognizance the recent proliferation of oil theft.
“The Search and Rescue clinic has also become quite important as cases of seafarers who experience attack need emergency medical attention and we have to be prompt so as to ensure their safety and survival.
“The Search and Rescue Clinic is manned by specially skilled medical personnel and same gives us the confidence with regards to guaranteeing the survival.
“The administrative building on the other hand is built with intent to improve the service delivery of NIMASA for efficient shipping activities particularly as NIMASA is targeting an improved ship registry.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, these new assets and building is an exhibition of the fact that the Federal Government is relentless and persistent in the fight against maritime crime while strengthening the blue economy of Nigeria and I should at this point express gratitude to the same set of persons that I appreciated just few days ago while we commissioned the NIMASA Complex in Abuja.
“As I always maintain, words are never enough in thanking Mr. President, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and as he leaves office after meritoriously and dedicatedly serving this nation yet again for eight long years, I pray that Almighty God thank you for us and grant you tranquility.
“I also repeat my appreciation of the 9th National Assembly for their impact on the success of NIMASA in the fight against piracy and other maritime crime both within Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.
“In the same vein, I thank the Minister of Transportation, Engr. Mu’azu Jaji Sambo and I also thank all the NIMASA Staff along with the support team of the Deep Blue Project from the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and other security agencies as well as all the members of the Joint Working Group.
“Please let it be known that the success recorded in the fight against maritime insecurity in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea is a success of all of us as a team.
“I congratulate you all because due to our persistency, we are not defeated and I heartily say thank you once again.
“As we launch these new assets, I urge all the officers that will be assigned to utilize them to bear in mind that they are national assets and are to make the best use of them while bearing in mind the need for proper maintenance.
“I accordingly dedicate all the assets to be launched and the building to be commissioned to the Glory of God,” he said.