MARITIME STAKEHOLDERS HAIL NEW NIMASA MANAGEMENT

·        They Are Great Value, Say Iheanacho, Ogbeifun

·        Jamoh Promises More Progress In Sector

Stakeholders in the maritime industry have lauded the new executive management team appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) led by Dr. Bashir Jamoh. They said Buhari’s focus on expertise in the choice of the team was a tremendous sign of better days ahead for the industry.  

Jamoh was appointed alongside Rt. Hon Victor Onyekachi Ochei, as Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services; Shehu Ahmed, Executive Director, Operations; and Chudi Offodile, Executive Director, Finance and Administration. NIMASA also got a new board, with Chief Honourable Asita the Agency’s Board Chairman.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the new DG at the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos, an oil and gas, and shipping expert, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, commended the President for listening to the cry of the industry by appointing a technocrat to lead the foremost maritime regulatory agency in the country.

“Stakeholders are happy because Dr. Jamoh is somebody who has been in the industry for ages and together with the pedigree of his team we are sure NIMASA would do well to move the industry forward and we have to appreciate President Mahammadu Buhari for giving us this strong team,” Iheanacho stated.

He urged the new management to focus on the Agency’s core functions, particularly in the area of safety and sea worthiness of vessels, while taking seriously the issues of maritime labour and promotion of indigenous shipping to help grow the nation’s maritime industry.

Speaking in the same vein, in his message to the Jamoh led management team, the MD/CEO of Starz Marine, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun, praised the appointment of Jamoh, saying he has the experience and expertise to steer the affairs of the Agency successfully.

“As an experienced bureaucrat and industry expert with a grounded knowledge of the maritime sector through practical experience and field knowledge, we believe that your appointment is not only a personal honor but an opportunity for you to apply these attributes in leading NIMASA to the next level. “We’re happy that your appointment is surely a case of a round peg in a round hole”, Ogbeifun said.

While responding to the stakeholders, Jamoh said he was committed to ensuring that the Nigerian maritime sector gained its rightful place in the comity of successful maritime nations. He assured of the unwavering zeal of the new executive management to ensure that the Agency focused on innovative and stakeholder-driven policies.

“We know without the support of stakeholders there is little or nothing we can do. So we urge you to cooperate with us because we are willing and ready to return the Nigeria maritime sector to the place it belongs among the leading maritime communities in the world,” Jamoh assured.

Jamoh assumed duty on Tuesday as the 6th DG of the maritime regulatory Agency since the merger of National Maritime Authority with Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council to form NIMASA. Jamoh took over from Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside whose four-year term ended March 10, 2020, following his appointment on March 10, 2016.

MARITIME: BASHIR JAMOH TAKES OVER AS NIMASA DG

·        Says Maritime Can Grow Nigeria’s Economy ·        His Institutional Knowledge Will Benefit Maritime Industry – Dakuku The newly appointed Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, resumed duty today as the 6th DG of the maritime regulatory Agency since the merger of National Maritime Authority with Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council to form NIMASA. Jamoh took over from Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside whose four-year term ended March 10, 2020, following his appointment on March 10, 2016. L-R: Hon. Chudi Offodile, new Executive Director, Finance and Administration; Outgoing Executive Director Operations, Engr. Rotimi Fashakin; Shehu Ahmed, new Executive Director, Operations; Outgoing Director General Dr Dakuku Peterside; new Director General, NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh; Outgoing Executive Director, Cabotage Services, Ahmed Gambo; and new Executive Director, Cabortage Services; Hon. Engr Victor Onyekachi Ochei, during the official handing over ceremony in Lagos, March 10, 2020 In a brief but historic handing over ceremony held at the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos, Jamoh, who is the immediate past Executive Director, Finance and Administration, at the Agency, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for believing in merit, continuity and expertise in making appointments. “First and foremost I want to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari and his team for finding me worthy of this appointment. It simply shows the President believes in continuity and the need to ensure that technocrats are given opportunities to serve under his leadership,” he stated. Jamoh assured stakeholders of his unwavering dedication to the progress of the industry, adding that the maritime sector offers a major platform for economic development. He promised to build on the successes achieved by the outgoing Executive Management, which he had been part of in the past four years. In his valedictory speech, the immediate past DG, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said having ended his tenure, he could not wish for a better person to take over from him than Jamoh, whom he described as a man with vast “institutional knowledge” of the industry. “Today I am happy that President Muhammadu Buhari has chosen Dr. Bashir Jamoh to succeed me in office. I cannot wish for a better person to succeed me because Dr. Bashir’s immense knowledge and commitment to the growth of the sector cannot be over emphasised and I am sure he would continue our good works,” Dakuku stated Jamoh, who is currently President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA), holds a PhD from the University of Port Harcourt, specialising in Logistics and Transport Management. He also has a Master’s Degree in Management from Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Post Graduate Diploma in Management Sciences from Bayero University Kano, and a Diploma in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The author of the maritime reference book, “Harnessing Nigeria’s Maritime Assets; past, present and future,” Jamoh is well grounded in the maritime industry with over 32 years of both professional and technical experience in the sector and has an  exceptionally close working relationship with stakeholders in the industry. He was appointed alongside Rt. Hon Victor Onyekachi Ochei, who replaced Malam Ahmed Gambo as Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services; Shehu Ahmed, who replaced Engr. Rotimi Fashakin as Executive Director, Operations; and Chudi Ofodile, who took over from Jamoh as  Executive Director, Finance and Administration. NIMASA also got a new board, with Hon. Asita Honourable the Agency’s Board Chairman. Ochei is an Engineer and Lawyer. He was a 2019 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Delta State. Ochei was elected Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly’s 5th Assembly in 2011, a position he held till 2015. Ochei also holds a Master’s degree in corporate governance from the Leads Metropolitan University (United Kingdom) as well as Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Benin. Offodile is a Lawyer, author and politician. He was first elected into the House of Representatives in 1999 to represent Awka North/South Federal Constituency of Anambra State and was re-elected in 2003.  Upon his re-election in 2003, Offodile was appointed chairman of the Public Petitions Committee.  He graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) with LLB (Hons) 1987, attended the Nigerian Law School in 1988 and obtained a post graduate Diploma in Business Administration from UNN in 1994. Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Master’s in Accounting from the South-eastern University in Washington D.C, U.S.A. He is a former Deputy Director in the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC). Ahmed joined the service of the corporation in 1993 as a senior Manager, having transferred his service from the New Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC), where he worked from 1985-1993.

THE CLASH BETWEEN THE NIMASA MANAGEMENT AND HOUSE OF REPS JOINT COMMITTEE ON MARITIME INVESTIGATION

This is to inform the general public that on Tuesday 3rd March 2020, the  Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA Dr. Dakuku Peterside led other Management staff of the Agency to receive members of the House Committee on Maritime Safety Education and Administration who were on oversight visit to the Agency in Lagos.

DG. NIMASA

This was the reason the DG could not personally be in Abuja to honor the invitation by the National Assembly joint committee investigating activities of foreign vessel owners in the country.

It is noteworthy that due to the clash of both schedules, NIMASA Management communicated same to the National Assembly joint committee investigating activities of foreign vessel owners in the country requesting for a change of date.

However, a member of the Executive Management, the Executive Director Maritime Labour and Cabotage services Mr Gambo Ahmed led the high powered team to represent the Agency.

NIMASA Management respects the National Assembly and will always respond to invitation from them.

FG Plan Bill to Ban Plastics-NIMASA

R-L: Minister of State for Environment, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor; Chairman, House Committee on Maritime, Safety and Education, Hon. Linda Ikeazor; Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Environment and Habitat, Hon. Johnson Oghuma; Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Sokonte Davies; Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside; at the official launch of the Maritime Action Plan for maritime litter and plastic management held in Lagos

·        To Eliminate Land-based Marine Litter Sources in 5 years

·        As NIMASA Launches Action Plan on Marine Litter, Plastics Management

The National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Environment are putting the finishing touches to a bill meant to prohibit the production of plastics, which pollute the environment. A member of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Tolulope Odebiyi, disclosed this in Lagos at the launch of the Maritime Action Plan for Marine Litter and Plastics Management in Nigeria. Odebiyi, the drafter of the proposed bill, who represented the chairman of the committee, Senator Danjuma Goje, said the bill would be harmonised with input from the Federal Ministry of Environment to make a holistic law that would impose tough sanctions on the production of organic polymers.

Odebiyi stressed that the National Assembly was solidly behind the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in the presentation and implementation of the action plan, which envisions the elimination of land-based sources of marine litter within five years.

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Environment, Hon Johnson Oghuma, also stressed the lower chamber’s commitment to a cleaner environment. Oghuma said the House was always prepared to assist the executive in the implementation of government policies.

The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, lamented that Nigeria was among the 20 countries generating more than 80 per cent of the land-based plastic wastes that end up in the oceans. Dakuku said the event was organised to raise public awareness about the deleterious effects of marine pollution and chart a national roadmap on solution to the menace.

“I am happy NIMASA has taken the lead in ensuring that our waterways and all our water bodies are clean, safe, and a vital source of economic activity for us in this country,” Odebiyi stated.

He added, “I drafted a bill with regard to plastic pollution and proliferation of plastics in the country. The issue is getting to an alarming state.

“NIMASA has taken the lead. But this is the backend of it. We also have to look at the frontend. We are spending billions of naira tiding up the environment; we also have people making billions of naira contributing to this menace. That is where the bill is aiming. You cannot continue to generate pollution, clog our waterways, cause erosion, flooding and all kinds of things, and some people are making money, knowing fully well that their product is contributing to the pollution.”

The senator also said, “The Senate is very much interested in this issue. We see the environment as a vital economic resource for us in this country. We will be working with NIMASA, Federal Ministry of Environment, and all the other agencies.”

The House Committee on Environment chairman spoke in a similar vein. “We are ready, and by the grace of God, I represent the Speaker in the Committee on Environment. Every legislation on the environment is jealously guarded by the committee. I urge everybody, wherever you are, behave like NIMASA, help us to save our environment,” Oghuma stated.

Dakuku prefaced his welcome address with two grisly true-life stories that underscored the dangers of marine litter and the need for urgent action. He then stated, “We all know that solutions to this global challenge are multiple and require consideration of a systematic approach to the various sources generating the pollution, both land- and sea-based contributors, and a combination of intervention in different sectors and at different levels.”

He said the action plan was aimed at setting a national roadmap for tackling pollutions, especially from shipping related activities; identifying specific actions that need to be taken by different parties to eliminate marine litter and plastics; strengthening stakeholder collaborations in tackling marine litter and plastics pollution; and establishing a template for monitoring progress in the fight against marine litter and plastics pollution.

Other objectives of the action plan, according to Dakuku, are to operationalise and complement the IMO Action Plan on Marine Litter from Ships; and enhance the enforcement of existing laws, conventions and regulations, including MARPOL-Annex V, London Convention and its Protocol, and the Nigerian Merchant Shipping Act 2007.

Dakuku listed actions already taken by NIMASA, which has the responsibility of ensuring clean seas and oceans in Nigeria, to include engagement of Marine Litter Marshals across coastal communities and littoral areas as a pilot scheme to clean up identified Marine Litter Hotspots. Marine litter sensitisation campaigns have also been carried out in several littoral communities, he stated.

In her own remarks, the Minister of State for Environment, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, sued for synergy among relevant government agencies and the private sector in the fight against environmental pollution. Ikeazor, said the ministry would establish more recycling plants for the collection of plastics and other litter that would be cleared from the oceans.

“You have started right with sensitisation of our people on what to do with plastics. The Ministry of Environment will definitely support NIMASA. We will take this further and put it together to be a national action plan,” she stated.

The highpoint of the event was the unveiling of the Maritime Action Plan for Marine Litter and Plastics Management in Nigeria by the representative of the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemi Saraki, Dr. Paul Adalikwu.

Other dignitaries at the launch included the chairman, House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu; Sokoto State Commissioner for Environment, Attahiru Bafarawa; and Yobe State Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Sidi Yakubu; Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Sokonte Davies; and representatives of private sector organisations, including VSF, an environment company, and Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA). 

World Shipping Community Confident in Nigeria’s Antipiracy Fight

Major stakeholders in the international shipping community have said they are confident of the measures and satisfied with the effectiveness of Nigeria’s efforts to contain piracy and armed robbery on the country’s maritime environment. They also expressed confidence in the abilities of the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the maritime industry regulator and linchpin of the country’s antipiracy efforts, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.    

Head of Maritime Safety and Security, Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), Jakob P. Larsen, stated, “The reality is that the shipping community and Dr. Peterside have been in close dialogue about the Nigerian-based piracy problem, and that we have repeatedly praised Dr. Peterside and NIMASA for their role in the preparations of antipiracy capabilities.”

BIMCO, a commercial shipping trade organisation headquartered in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is one of the largest international organisations of ship owners in the world.

The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) also said it was certain improved maritime safety and security were in the offing, with the current measures being put in place by NIMASA. The Marine Director of INTERTANKO, an association of independent tanker owners throughout the world, Dr. Phillip Belcher, said, “We value the close working relationship we have with the Nigerian administration and Dr. Dakuku Peterside, personally.”

The international shipping stakeholders were reacting to recent media publications alleging Nigeria might be reported to the United Nations on account of piracy.

Following disturbing reports by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) about piracy and maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria has since the inception of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration implemented a number of measures, through NIMASA, to counter the menace. The incidents affect Nigeria, among other West African countries, and the wider international community.

Dakuku said the antipiracy measures were meant to “guarantee a Nigerian maritime space devoid of criminality, where people can feel confident to trade and Nigeria can take full advantage of the rich potential of its maritime environment.”  

The above objective led to the introduction of the Total Spectrum Maritime Security Strategy by NIMASA, Nigerian Navy, and other stakeholders. In actualisation of the strategy, the Federal Government initiated the Integrated Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also known as the Deep Blue Project, with participation from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, and NIMASA.

Fully funded by NIMASA, with HLSI International as technical partners, the Deep Blue Project has three main components, namely, intelligence gathering, which led to the establishment of the C4i surveillance system; response capability, which led to the acquisition of maritime security assets; and training of personnel to patrol Nigeria’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone

The C4i centre is like the central nervous centre for the Deep Blue Project for intelligence gathering and analysis. It has started operation, while most of the assets have been acquired, and the training of personnel is at the final stages. The air assets meant to build reconnaissance capability include Special Mission Aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The maritime assets for monitoring the waters include and Special Mission Vessels and interceptor boats; and the land assets for securing the coastal areas include armoured vehicles.

The Federal Government also enacted in June 2019 the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act 2019 as a legal framework for prosecution of maritime offenders. The Act made Nigeria the first country in the West and Central African Sub-Region to have a separate law against piracy. This is an important international requirement set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as part of measures to guarantee secure global shipping.

As the infrastructural and legal aspects of the Total Spectrum Maritime Security Strategy began to come into operation, IMB reported a drop in piracy attacks in Nigeria in the third quarter of 2019. IMB said in its report, “Nigeria has reduced Q3 piracy attacks from 41 in 2018 to 29 in 2019,” which represents nearly 30 per cent year-on-year reduction.World Shipping Community Confident in Nigeria’s Antipiracy Fight

Major stakeholders in the international shipping community have said they are confident of the measures and satisfied with the effectiveness of Nigeria’s efforts to contain piracy and armed robbery on the country’s maritime environment. They also expressed confidence in the abilities of the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the maritime industry regulator and linchpin of the country’s antipiracy efforts, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.    

Head of Maritime Safety and Security, Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), Jakob P. Larsen, stated, “The reality is that the shipping community and Dr. Peterside have been in close dialogue about the Nigerian-based piracy problem, and that we have repeatedly praised Dr. Peterside and NIMASA for their role in the preparations of antipiracy capabilities.”

BIMCO, a commercial shipping trade organisation headquartered in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is one of the largest international organisations of ship owners in the world.

The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) also said it was certain improved maritime safety and security were in the offing, with the current measures being put in place by NIMASA. The Marine Director of INTERTANKO, an association of independent tanker owners throughout the world, Dr. Phillip Belcher, said, “We value the close working relationship we have with the Nigerian administration and Dr. Dakuku Peterside, personally.”

The international shipping stakeholders were reacting to recent media publications alleging Nigeria might be reported to the United Nations on account of piracy.

Following disturbing reports by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) about piracy and maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria has since the inception of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration implemented a number of measures, through NIMASA, to counter the menace. The incidents affect Nigeria, among other West African countries, and the wider international community.

Dakuku said the antipiracy measures were meant to “guarantee a Nigerian maritime space devoid of criminality, where people can feel confident to trade and Nigeria can take full advantage of the rich potential of its maritime environment.”  

The above objective led to the introduction of the Total Spectrum Maritime Security Strategy by NIMASA, Nigerian Navy, and other stakeholders. In actualisation of the strategy, the Federal Government initiated the Integrated Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also known as the Deep Blue Project, with participation from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, and NIMASA.

Fully funded by NIMASA, with HLSI International as technical partners, the Deep Blue Project has three main components, namely, intelligence gathering, which led to the establishment of the C4i surveillance system; response capability, which led to the acquisition of maritime security assets; and training of personnel to patrol Nigeria’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone

The C4i centre is like the central nervous centre for the Deep Blue Project for intelligence gathering and analysis. It has started operation, while most of the assets have been acquired, and the training of personnel is at the final stages. The air assets meant to build reconnaissance capability include Special Mission Aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The maritime assets for monitoring the waters include and Special Mission Vessels and interceptor boats; and the land assets for securing the coastal areas include armoured vehicles.

The Federal Government also enacted in June 2019 the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act 2019 as a legal framework for prosecution of maritime offenders. The Act made Nigeria the first country in the West and Central African Sub-Region to have a separate law against piracy. This is an important international requirement set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as part of measures to guarantee secure global shipping.

As the infrastructural and legal aspects of the Total Spectrum Maritime Security Strategy began to come into operation, IMB reported a drop in piracy attacks in Nigeria in the third quarter of 2019. IMB said in its report, “Nigeria has reduced Q3 piracy attacks from 41 in 2018 to 29 in 2019,” which represents nearly 30 per cent year-on-year reduction.

MARITIME SECURITY: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BACKS NIGERIA;S DEEP BLUE PROJECT

·        Floating Dock will Boost Nigeria’s Revenue-Ikpeazu

·        Navy: With SMVs We Can Reach Pirates Anywhere On Our Waters

 The Integrated Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, commonly called the Deep Blue Project, received rave reviews on Tuesday from members of the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration during an oversight visit to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and tour of some of its facilities under the project in Lagos.

Chairman, House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, in a friendly chat with the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside during the visit of the committee to the Agency's Headquarters in Lagos, today 03-03-2020

The committee members, led by the Chairman, Honourable Lynda Ikpeazu, inspected the Special Mission Vessels (SMVs) under the Deep Blue Project – DB Abuja and DB Lagos – and the C4i Centre, and pledged their strong support for the project.

Chairman, House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu (right) and Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside during the visit of the committee to the Agency's Headquarters in Lagos, today 03-03-2020

Corroborating the legislature’s position, the Commander of DB Lagos, Captain Maksun Mohammed, said the vessels will be a game changer in the fight against piracy and other maritime crimes on the country’s waters, as the criminals could be easily reached and stopped.

On his part, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, lauded the National Assembly for its continued support for the Agency and the maritime sector, generally. Dakuku also extolled the Nigerian Navy for its leading role in the pursuit of maritime security.

The maritime security assets are funded by NIMASA and run in conjunction with the Navy and other members of the Armed Forces, paramilitary organisations, and agencies under the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

Speaking at the event, Ikpeazu said the committee was impressed by the projects the Agency had facilitated in recent times, adding that the Floating Dock acquired by NIMASA remained a viable project that would generate lots of revenue for the country.

“We need to get a permanent berth for this huge platform because when it is fully operational it would amount to a very huge revenue earner for Nigeria because a lot of vessels would be able to dry-dock in-country,” she said.

On the SMVs and the Command, Control, Computer Communication, and Intelligence Centre (C4i Centre), which the committee visited, Ikpeazu said she was impressed with the level of coordination at the centre, especially the partnership between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy. But she advised that aside NIMASA working with the Navy, the Agency should collaborate with other relevant Agencies, saying this would help in the battle against illegalities in the maritime environment.

Speaking on the SMVs, which are fitted with fast interceptor boats, Mohammed stated, “We have had hijack cases on our waters and more often than not, the reason they are successful is because they are beyond reach. But with this craft, that is not going to be an issue anymore, because it is either we launch fast interceptor boats that are capable of attaining the speed of about 55 nauts – no vessel can beat that vessel out at sea – or we put our special forces on the aircraft and send them out to the target and capture the ship.

“This vessel is going to be a game changer based on its capabilities. We are looking forward to going into operations soon.”

He said there will be rigorous training for personnel, who will man the vessels, before going into full operation.

“The vessel is highly sophisticated and highly computerised. That is why there will be a rigorous training process before we launch into operation. The training will be overseen by experts with inept knowledge about the operations of the ship. There will be a lot of emphasis on training so that we can have sufficient competence to operate this craft the way we should,” Mohammed stated.

He added that the vessels were equipped with state-of-the-art intelligence gathering gadgets that could receive information and respond in the quickest time possible.

Dakuku said the National Assembly was very crucial in the Agency’s quest to reform the maritime industry.

He stated, “The National Assembly is our most critical partner in our quest to reposition the maritime sector because the success of any regulator depends on the enforcement of laws made by the legislators. We crave their continued support so that we can continue to deliver on our mandate to the Nigerian people.”

The highlight of the visit was the inspection of the two SMVs, DB Lagos and DB Abuja, which are currently anchored at Navy Town, Lagos.

Other members of the committee on the tour included Hon. Kabiru Idris, Hon. Gambo Mubarak, Hon. Bamisili Oluwafemi Richard, Hon. Ajilesor Abimbola Taofeek, Hon. Samson Okwu, Hon. Magaji Amos Gwamna, and Hon. Victor Nwokolo. Others were Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi Ahmad, Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, Hon. Wole Oke, Hon. Nasiru Sanni Zango Daura, Hon. Yusuf Ahmad Tijani, Hon. Olumide Osoba, and Hon. Bassey Ewa.