If urgent steps are not taken, the world’s economy will run into problems
The Federal Government through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and the International Maritime Organisation, IMO are currently working out plans to tackle the menace of pirate attacks against vessels in the Nigeria territorial waters.
Speaking at the this years celebration of World maritime held at the Presidential Hotel in Prot- Harcourt River State, NIMASA’s Director General Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi said that pirate attacks is changing the face of international trade negatively adding that if urgent steps are not taken to check mate their activities the world’s economy will run into problems.
Akpobolokemi stated that already, young men are weary of taking up career in the sea farering profession following the worrisome trend of attacks on sailors. He noted that the numbers of the world’s seafarers have continued to dwindle and that pirates are also having a field day carting away billions of Dollars as ransom.Speaking in similar vein, IMO’s Secretary- General Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos said that the agency has developed a multi-faceted action plan designed to address the problem at different levels and are proceeding with its implementation in an orchestrated manner
He was of the opinion that the problem has become too entrenched and deep rooted to be solved by any single entity”The United Nation, alliances (Political and Defence) of States of Governments acting collectively or individually, military forces, shipping companies, ship operators and ships’ crews all have a crucial role to play in order to rid the world of the threat posed by piracy in the Indian Ocean” he added Mitropoulos who was represented by Mr. Willy Azuh IMO’s Head African section on Technical cooperation said that the anti-piracy campaign of IMO is focused on the traditional hot spots of the straits of Malacca and Singapore and the South China Sea.
He noted that measure developed and implemented by IMO in collaboration with littoral states and the unreserved support of shipping industry, the scourge of piracy in those waters has significantly reduced.
The IMO scribe however expressed concern over the recent development in the coast of Somalia, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian ocean noting that ships carrying oil out of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman are now firmly within the sights of pirates who have become bolder, more audacious, more aggressive and more violent.
Source: Vanguard
