The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli Emiko, has appealed to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to facilitate the effective utilisation of the Warri Port and the Koko Port with a view to reviving the economic activities in these areas.
The traditional ruler made the appeal when the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, led a delegation of the management of the agency to pay homage to the first class chief at his palace in Warri while on a tour of NIMASA operations in the Central Zone.
The Olu of Warri who noted that the Delta ports were once the drivers of the Warri economy decried the abandonment of the ports which he said can be very attractive given the quantum of oil and gas activities in the area have been abandoned by various administrations.
According to him, “There is no reason why vessels should go to Lagos and wait for weeks to discharge their cargo when the Warri and Koko ports stay without any economic activity. I therefore want to appeal to you to use your office and facilitate the proper engagement of these ports for the economic benefit of the region and the country at large”.
Describing Peterside as a focused, committed and visionary leader, the Olu of Warri expressed confidence in the ability of the director general to bring about the needed change that will restore the ports of Warri and Koko to their pride of place.
The paramount ruler also observed that a lot of youths who are into militancy would have been duly engaged and denounced the vice if the ports were operating optimally.
In his address, the Director General of NIMASA, Peterside, explained that the NIMASA delegation was in the Olu’s palace to pay homage as one of the foremost traditional rulers in the country.
Peterside also told the Ogiame and his council of chiefs that the agency was liaising with the appropriate authorities to facilitate the dredging of the channels in Warri ports to attract more business to the area.
“We are fighting piracy so that more vessels can call at Warri port. We are making a case for the dredging of the Warri channel so that more vessels can berth at the port. We are also working very hard to make Warri the centre of NIMASA operations so that more activities will take place here,” the DG said.
He assured the Olu of Warri that the management of NIMASA was committed to improving the fortunes of the Nigerian maritime industry to make it a viable alternative to oil and that no segment of Nigeria’s maritime environment would be left out.
The director general has visited the Cabotage Enforcement Office in Sapele, the floating dock berthed at the Naval Base in Sapele, the Search and Rescue Base clinic, Maritime Safety office, Maritime Labour office and the Central Zonal Office, all in Warri as part of his visit to the operational offices of the agency.
Meanwhile,
the Director General of the NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has given the assurance that the Agency will provide platforms for the enforcement of its mandate especially the Cabotage Act.
Peterside said this while addressing staff of the Bayelsa Enforcement Office in Yenagoa while on a working visit of the operational offices of the Agency in the Eastern Zone.
Describing the Cabotage Act as an important pillar for home grown capacity for the sustainable development of the Nigerian maritime industry, Dr. Peterside further stated that the Agency is committed to the full implementation of the Act for the benefit of the Nigerian economy.
According to him, “In this era of government emphasizing the diversification of the economy, one area the government is focusing on is the maritime sector because it has the potential to contribute to the growth of the nation, creation of jobs, wealth for our teeming youths, and put us permanently on the path of sustainable development”.
“And if the government is looking up to the maritime sector, NIMASA must take its rightful place in the new order and to do this, the centres of the Agency’s operations must be alive to their responsibilities” the DG emphasised.
He commended the staff of the Yenagoa office for discharging their duties creditably even with visible challenges including the lack of associated platforms for enforcement and assured them of the commitment of the management, to provide all the necessary facilities for the successful discharge of their duties.
He also said that the Management of the Agency is addressing all other issues regarding the welfare of staff and insufficient work tools in a holistic manner in order to increase efficiency and productivity.
While calling on staff to redouble their efforts to make NIMASA and indeed the maritime industry take its rightful place in the Nation’s economic diversification process, Dr. Peterside said that the Agency is being restructured in such a manner that more powers will be devolved to the Zonal Offices as the operational centres of the Agency.
The NIMASA Management rounds off its working visit with a tour of the Onne Port and other Operational formations within the Eastern Zone.
