By Uzor Odigbo
The Nigeria Merchant Navy Officer and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA) has raised the alarm that over seventy percent of ship owners have failed to comply with the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) recently signed with seafarers and government regulatory agency..
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) affiliate also fumed over failure of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to live up to its expectation by enforcing the trade agreement.
Speaking with journalists, National President of NMNOWTSSA, Comrade Bob Joseph Yousou expressed displeasure over the unserious handling of the matter by the regulatory agency.
According to Yousou who doubles as Africa’s Seafarers Chairman, ITF, the agency is politicizing the matter which he stressed is impacting negatively on seafarers.
“The problem I am having is the ineffectiveness of the government to effect their policies. You cannot just come up with a policy without effectively implementing or monitoring it. This is affecting us.
“Now, we have NJIC which is supposed to be implemented by all actors but we have written to NIMASA as the regulator and when you get to them, they will not be serious over the issue.
“You said you were the regulatory body and almost seventy percent of the companies are not complying and you are aware of this but there is no enforcement and when we write to you, no enforcement. They politicised everything, that is the challenge we have.
“If NIMASA wants to do it, they supposed to invite the two bodies and ask why they are not complying, gradually, things will get better.
“They are not doing anything, so many seafarers are in darkness , we can’t do anything. We write to NIMASA to intervene but they are not doing anything,” he maintained
