By Uzor Odigbo
The immediate past national President, Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, Mr. Matthew Alalade, has called on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to provide relief materials and other stimulus packages for stranded foreign seafarers in Nigerian seaports and waters.
Alalade said that some sailors in Nigeria need assistance from the Nigerian government to cushion the pandemic.
According to him, the two leading maritime agencies should deploy personnel to get firsthand information about their wellbeing and current location.
The former Trade Union Congress Auditor 2, in a chat with our correspondent on Wednesday called on the nation’s flag and port states to emulate the Singaporean and Philipines innovations by providing succour for stranded foreign nationals in their territorial waters; as it could further ameliorate the suffering and depression faced at sea by the seamen.
He also called on the maritime agencies, labour groups and humanitarian bodies to reach out in consulting their respective embassies and high commissions on how they could be repatriated if the pandemic persists.
The former Merchant Navy president also urged the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) Mission To Seafarers in Nigeria and National Seafarers Welfare Board (NSWB) to engage and monitor activities of the stranded sailors in Nigeria as part of their respective roles with a view to show kindness and sense of belonging.
He added: “Without the seafarers demanding or asking for help, the Ministry of Tranportation should have mandated the agencies under maritime especially NIMASA and NPA to provide relief materials for the stranded seafarers.
“The agencies should also extend donations and contributions to them because they are humans even though they are not Nigerians.
“But I want to believe that NIMASA should know what to do at this point in time because seafarers play key roles in world trade.
“Other flag states in the world have done so much for stranded seafarers since the outbreak of the pandemic, and movement restrictions.
“If you are talking of maritime labour nations, Philipines understands what it portends to be stranded. As they take maritime business seriously because its the highest earning GDP for the nation and seafaring contributes significantly to its growth. “If Nigerian seafares are on their flag ship, they would kindly do so in consultations with such nationals consulate.”
