By Uzor Odigbo
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has been enjoined to eschew disparity in the engagement of foreign ship owners and Nigerian indigenous ship owners over training of cadets onboard their vessels.
Maritime stakeholders posited that some indigenous ship owners reject cadets on their vessels for sea time training.
Maritime stakeholders posited that some indigenous ship owners reject cadets on their vessels for sea time training.
It is believed that NIMASA pays foreign vessels owners to take cadets on sea time training meanwhile no offer is made to their indigenous counterparts.
This according to Thomas Kemewerigha, a consultant with NIMASA is capable of making the indigenous owners reject to take the cadets on training.
The former National President of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officer and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA)
in a chat with newsmen recently charged NIMASA to liaise with indigenous ship owners to find out why they have declined taking Nigerian cadets for seatime training and to provide the necessary incentives.
He stated further that some of the indigenous ship owners who take cadets on board offer them some allowance as well as provide accommodation for them in their vessels with no attendant benefit from the aoex maritime industry.
Kemewerigha said that if NIMASA is truly paying foreign ship owners to engage cadets, nothing stopped it from extending same gesture to indigenous vessel owners.
“I was informed that there is an arrangement was made long ago that seafarers are now getting assistance from foreign countries on foreign trips.
“There are lot is speculations that money is involved, that they have a consultant who arranges for the seatime and money were paid for the seatime.
“If it is true that they pay for cadets on foreign ships, I want to still believe that is the reason the indigenous ship owners are refusing to address the issue of Nigerian cadets onboard their vessels because Nigeria is not giving them concession when it comes to ship registration, and every other thing with the flag state. And if I take a cadet, I will give him an allowance I will give him a bed space that is made for a worker
“If the cry is that Nigerian ship owners are not accepting cadets, there should be a round table to find out why.
On the recently Maritime Security Agency (MASECA) bill rejected by operators and stakeholders at the hearing in the National Assembly, he said it was the selfish agenda of the proponents that made them push the bill for the third time.
He added that the claim that the bill will create jobs for seafarers is far from truth saying international laws had already established the avenues for job creation for the seafarers.
“We have existing laws at international levels to take care of our seafarers in the area of getting jobs like Cabotage AC, MLC and others. I don’t know the area the MASECA bill is going to create jobs.
A retired Admiral in the first place should not create an avenue of saying the bill should be sponsored for the third time.
There are some miscreants who are not professionals who broke out from the Merchant Navy and formed their own association and Ombo is heading them. It is a disgrace to the naval force
You know very well that Captures Thomas is an insider and I know the history of that sector. There was a time they wanted to use me against the bonafide body that takes care of seafarers.
This according to Thomas Kemewerigha, a consultant with NIMASA is capable of making the indigenous owners reject to take the cadets on training.
The former National President of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officer and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA)
in a chat with newsmen recently charged NIMASA to liaise with indigenous ship owners to find out why they have declined taking Nigerian cadets for seatime training and to provide the necessary incentives.
He stated further that some of the indigenous ship owners who take cadets on board offer them some allowance as well as provide accommodation for them in their vessels with no attendant benefit from the aoex maritime industry.
Kemewerigha said that if NIMASA is truly paying foreign ship owners to engage cadets, nothing stopped it from extending same gesture to indigenous vessel owners.
“I was informed that there is an arrangement was made long ago that seafarers are now getting assistance from foreign countries on foreign trips.
“There are lot is speculations that money is involved, that they have a consultant who arranges for the seatime and money were paid for the seatime.
“If it is true that they pay for cadets on foreign ships, I want to still believe that is the reason the indigenous ship owners are refusing to address the issue of Nigerian cadets onboard their vessels because Nigeria is not giving them concession when it comes to ship registration, and every other thing with the flag state. And if I take a cadet, I will give him an allowance I will give him a bed space that is made for a worker
“If the cry is that Nigerian ship owners are not accepting cadets, there should be a round table to find out why.
On the recently Maritime Security Agency (MASECA) bill rejected by operators and stakeholders at the hearing in the National Assembly, he said it was the selfish agenda of the proponents that made them push the bill for the third time.
He added that the claim that the bill will create jobs for seafarers is far from truth saying international laws had already established the avenues for job creation for the seafarers.
“We have existing laws at international levels to take care of our seafarers in the area of getting jobs like Cabotage AC, MLC and others. I don’t know the area the MASECA bill is going to create jobs.
A retired Admiral in the first place should not create an avenue of saying the bill should be sponsored for the third time.
There are some miscreants who are not professionals who broke out from the Merchant Navy and formed their own association and Ombo is heading them. It is a disgrace to the naval force
You know very well that Captures Thomas is an insider and I know the history of that sector. There was a time they wanted to use me against the bonafide body that takes care of seafarers.