COVID-19: Dockworkers/Seafarers are Essential Workers, Exempted from Travel Restrictions, Says NIMASA

•      As Agency Unveils Guidelines for Terminals, Jetties.

In line with the newly endorsed protocols by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO] designed to lift barriers to crew changes, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA] has designated Seafarers and Dockworkers as essential workers who should be exempted from travel restrictions.

The exemptions are contained in a new guideline developed and published by the Agency to support essential services in Nigeria’s shipping sector. The guideline states that the jobs of dockworkers at the country's seaports, terminals, and jetties are essential to the national economy and, therefore, dockworkers should be granted passage between their places of abode and the seaports/terminals and jetties to perform their duties. 

The advice also declares that seafarers are on essential duty and as such exempted from the curfew and travel restrictions, which may hinder necessary movement for crew change. It directs companies employing the services of seafarers to provide special and dedicated means of transportation to convey the seafarers, adding that such transport system must be disinfected within the recommended minimum hours.

The guideline specifically provides for the mandatory use of facemasks within all terminals and jetties, mandatory temperature check on all staff before access to terminals, and denial of entry to persons who present temperature above 38°C. It makes it mandatory for all dock labour employers to develop risk assessments and safety intervention guidelines for all personnel and operations in the areas of vulnerability within their maritime operations that can be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including cargo handling, access control, and rostering procedures.

Dock labour employers are also to devise methods of ensuring that dockworkers absent from their duties for issues relating to COVlD-19 are quarantined and compensated for the suspension of earnings they suffer as a consequence. Furthermore, all dock labour employers are to ensure that buses deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic carry a 50 per cent maximum capacity in line with Federal Government directives, and all passengers wear facemasks. Such buses must have hand sanitisers for all drivers’ and passengers’ use and be frequently disinfected.

Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said the latest advice was meant to contain the coronavirus pandemic while also supporting the continuation of the economy. 

Jamoh stated, “Like President Muhammadu Buhari said, no economy can survive total lockdown. If you look at it critically, maritime is an essential duty, with the major actors being seafarers and dockworkers. This is why we continually come up with guidelines to ease their operations so that activities in our ports will not suffer.”

The DG emphasised the prohibition of loitering around port premises and charged dock labour employers to ensure social distancing of two meters is maintained between people in the workplace and other public spaces within and around port terminals.

The guideline is in sync with those issued by the United Nations agencies, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Labour Organisation (ILO), as well as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Amaechi Inaugurates NIMASA Board

·        Charges Members to Complete Deep Blue Project

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh (3^rd right), NIMASA Board, Chairman, Honourable Asita O. Asita (2^nd right) and other members of the NIMASA Board after their inauguration by the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Abuja.

The Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, inaugurated the Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Thursday in Abuja, with a charge to the members to speed up completion of the Deep Blue Project.

The maritime security project, also known as the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, aims to comprehensively tackle insecurity on Nigeria’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone, up to the Gulf of Guinea.

Amaechi told the new board members that the Deep Blue Project was critical to maritime security in Nigeria and the entire West and Central Africa region. He disclosed that about 60 per cent of the project’s cost had been paid by the Federal Government.

The Minister charged the Management and Board of NIMASA to “go and complete the Deep Blue Project,” stressing that the success of NIMASA is, to a great extent, dependent on completion of the project.

In his remarks, Chairman of the Board, Honourable Asita O. Asita, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the honour bestowed on them. Asita pledged to work harmoniously with the NIMASA Management to deliver the Agency’s mandate.

The board chairman stated, “If we must trade as a country, we need the waterways to be safe.” He said the security of the maritime domain was of utmost importance to the country, adding that NIMASA cannot afford to play with the issues of safety and security.

Other members of the 10-member Board are the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh; Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Victor Ochei; Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Hon. Chudi Offodile; and Executive Director, Operations, Shehu Ahmed. Also on the Board are Adekola Adefemi, Mohammed Abubakar, Hassan Rasaq Mahmud, Eyewumi Daniel Neburagho, and Rear Admiral Ibikunle Taiwo Olaiya.

Wellhead Fire: NIMASA Dispatches Team to Investigate Incident

·      Cautions Mariners to Avoid Impacted Area

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has sent an investigative team to unravel the circumstances surrounding a recent fire incident at a wellhead offshore Ondo State. The incident involved a barge belonging to Michharry and Company Nigeria Limited, an offshore and onshore facilities provider for the oil and gas industry.

The officers from the Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standard Department (MSSSD) and Marine Environment Management (MEM) Department of the Agency would conduct both on the spot assessment and detailed analysis of the incident.

NIMASA also advised mariners and other maritime stakeholders to steer clear of the areas affected by the fire for their own safety and to aid the investigative and remediation work at the location, Ororo1, in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 95. The site is a Chevron platform sold to local investors.  

Preliminary investigation revealed that the barge, JUV Bellaton, a 300 Series SEWOP, owned by Michharry and operated by Guarantee Petroleum, had been working on the offshore oil rig, Grace 1 HWU, when it experienced leakages of gas and oil, which were followed by a fire outbreak at the wellhead location. Though, there was no reported pollution following degenerative status of the platform due to the fire.

All crew were evacuated safely, and firefighters were engaged by the company to try to put out the fire.

NIMASA is working with the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) on the incident investigation, in line with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two agencies.

DG. NIMASA

The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, stated, “As the national agency statutorily responsible for ensuring a clean, pollution- free, and friendly marine environment for safe shipping activities, NIMASA has swung into action with our standard procedures to get to the root of this fire incident. A team of officers from the relevant departments of the Agency has been dispatched to the site. We will do a thorough analysis of the situation with a view to unraveling the cause of the fire and preventing future occurrence.

“As the maritime industry regulator, we would also not hesitate to mete out sanctions where necessary to deter abuse.

“Certainly, the Nigerian maritime industry and the economy will be the beneficiaries of the outcome of our work on this incident.”

Jamoh added, “At this point, let me advise maritime stakeholders to keep away from the areas affected by the fire. This is for their own safety and to avoid anything that can jeopardise or hinder the ongoing investigation.

“Additionally, we advise operators in the country’s maritime domain to always report incidents at their locations to NIMASA in good time and shun actions capable of endangering their own safety and operations as well as those of others

Nigeria Set to Prosecute Pirates under New Anti-piracy Law

·        Inter-agency Collaboration Key to Maritime Security – Jamoh

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has restated its commitment to collaboration among relevant agencies and stakeholders for the security of the country’s maritime domain. Director-General of the Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, stated this in Lagos during the official handover of pirates arrested by the Nigerian Navy for prosecution.

Photograph of the arrested pirates during their parade at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos.

The 10 pirates had on May 15 attacked and boarded a Chinese vessel, MV HAILUFANG II, off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire and directed it towards Nigerian waters. They were arrested by the Nigerian Navy, which dispatched a ship to intercept the vessel after it got an alert.  

The prosecution of the pirates would be the first trial of bandits arrested in international waters under the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act signed into law in June last year by President Muhammadu Buhari. The law made Nigeria the first in West and Central Africa to have a distinct antipiracy legislation.  

Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Commodore Ibrahim Shettima in a chat with the Head, Legal Services, NIMASA, Mr. Victor Egejuru after the parading of the arrested pirates at NNS Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos

Jamoh attributed the successful operation that led to the arrest of the pirates and rescue of the ship and its crew to collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy. He said the Agency will continue to work with relevant security agencies in order to achieve its goal of eradicating piracy and all forms of illegality on the Nigerian waters.

The Director-General stated, “We have just witnessed the handover of pirates. This is as a result of the robust collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy. There has been a lot of synergy between NIMASA and the Navy with regard to the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act.

“I also want to seize the opportunity to thank Mr. President for signing the anti-piracy law, which would facilitate sufficient prosecution of these pirates.”

Jamoh, who was represented by the Agency’s Head of Legal Services, Mr. Victor Egejuru, assured that with the anti-piracy law, there was ample legal framework to prosecute pirates and other perpetrators of maritime offences in the country to bring the menace to the barest minimum.

Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Commodore Ibrahim Shettima, who gave details of the naval operation, said the vessel had 18 crew members comprising Chinese, Ghanaians, and Ivorians.

Shettima said, “On interception of the vessel about 140nm south of Lagos Fairway Buoy, the pirates had refused to comply with the orders of the Navy ship, hence the Nigerian Navy had to conduct an opposed boarding of the vessel. All ship crew were safely rescued, while the 10 pirates were also arrested.”

He stressed the need for increased regional cooperation and information sharing, disclosing that the arrest of the pirates was due to a tip-off by the Beninoise Navy. Shettima warned criminal elements to stay away from Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea, saying the Navy has the capability to deal with such threats.

Jamoh has said the current management of NIMASA will focus on three main areas, namely, Maritime Security, Safety, and Shipping Development, in pursuit of a robust maritime domain for the country.