Tag: Nigeria

Establishment of Maritime Security and Safety Agency The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Monday threatened to shut down seaports to protest the planned establishment of another body--Maritime Security and Safety Agency.MWUN stated this in a petition signed by its President, Mr. Tony Nted and Secretary-General, Mr. Aham Ubani, and sent to President Goodluck Jonathan.The petition, which made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, was copied to the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Minister of Transport.The union claimed that the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PICOMSS) planned to establish another agency, which it said, was unacceptable.It described such an agency as a duplication of the existing Federal Government Agency, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).It said that the draft bill captioned "Maritime Security Bill 2009'' was first presented to the National Assembly in January 2010.''The draft was presented to the National Assembly and public hearing on it was held on January 13, 2010. The bill is slated for another public hearing on Tuesday.''Stakeholders were unanimous in rejecting the bill on the ground that the authority, function and financing of the proposed agency are clear duplication ...

The boats are designed to combat criminal activities in the sea To combat piracy on Nigerian waters, the Nigerian Navy yesterday in Lagos launched three newly acquired Manta boats."The combat vessels have high speed and adequate firepower to address the challenges in the maritime sector."The boats are designed to combat criminal activities in the sea, especially criminals who attack ships, waylay fishing trawlers and make the waterways unsafe,' said Commodore Jonathan Ango.Ango, who is the Commanding Officer, Nigerian Nay Ship Beecroft, Apapa, said the combat boats would complement the existing ones.According to him, the combat boats will replace the over 30-year-old boats that had been deployed to fight piracy, illegal bunkering, and vandalism of oil platforms.He stated any attack on the waterways was an attack on the maritime interest of the nation.Ango said the three vessels would be deployed in Lagos, South-East and the Niger Delta.Source: Nigerian Observer News

Focus on offshore merchant shipping Tankers and supply ships are facing an increased threat of hijacking off Nigeria, according to analysis by maritime-security firm Risk Intelligence, which is predicting an escalation of violent attacks against ships this year.Although overall maritime attacks in the Niger Delta in 2010 fell to just 58, as compared to 91 in the previous year, the bad news is that there was a significant focus on offshore merchant shipping as the pirates spread out from their usual sphere of operation.Risk Intelligence found that as a result of the failure of an amnesty programme, militants are moving away from the inshore rivers and offshore kidnappings for ransom are becoming more common.Source: Safety4Sea

MEND threaten ports There was panic in the Nigerian maritime industry, yesterday, following a threat by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND , to attack tank farms and other port facilities in the Lagos ports area.The State Security Service, SSS, alerted other port security agencies and held an emergency meeting to wade off the impending attack on the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.Already, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, have deployed patrol boats to monitor the waterfronts while more security measures are being put in place to checkmate the activities of these miscreants.Speaking at the meeting, Managing Director of the NPA, Alhaji Omar Suleiman, called on security operatives to be on the alert and raise alarm on any suspicious movement of persons.Omar who was represented by the General Manager in charge of the Western Zone of the NPA, Alhaji Mohammed Bulango, warned terminal operators and tank farm owners to minimize the human and vehicular movement in and out of their facilities.Some of the security decisions reached at the meeting included the removal of ship wrecks from the waterways as these wrecks could be used as ...