UNIPORT Inaugurates Jamoh as CELTRAS Chairman

·        NIMASA DG pledges to promote maritime education 

DG. NIMASA

Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has been inaugurated as Chairman, Governing Board of the Centre for Logistics and Transport Studies (CELTRAS), University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). The inauguration, which took place at the university’s Institute of Petroleum Studies Auditorium, was supervised by the acting Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Professor Stephen Okodudu. It had in attendance many academic and non-academic staff.

Jamoh’s investiture followed his appointment in October as Chairman of the 10-member Governing Board of CELTRAS. Okodudu had said Jamoh was chosen by virtue of his position as Director-General of NIMASA, emphasising that his appointment “is an eloquent testimony to your outstanding contributions to national development.”

In his remarks after the inauguration of the Board, the NIMASA Director-General, who holds a doctorate in Logistics and Transport Management from the University of Port Harcourt, said he felt honoured “to lead this great team towards accomplishment of the noble mission and objectives of the Centre for Logistics and Transport Studies.” He promised to prioritise maritime education and professionalism in the transport sector, while working hand-in-hand with the Governing Board to achieve the set goals of CELTRAS.

“Transportation is life and life is transportation,” Jamoh stated, adding that he and the Board would strive to surpass the university’s target and intention for creating the Centre.

“NIMASA, on its part, has a mandate enshrined in its enabling Act, which includes maritime education. It would be all hands on deck and, hopefully, we shall achieve the mandate of maritime education and professionalism in the country.”

With the inauguration of the CELTRAS Board coming at a time when the Federal Government is trying to improve and expand the transportation infrastructure across the country, Jamoh said the Centre had its work cut out.

“Without professional transporters in our sector, this infrastructure will continue to dilapidate,” the Director-General said. “Therefore, it is not by accident that we are gathered here to inaugurate this board to ensure that we produce professionals, and encourage research towards development of the transportation sector,” he added.

Earlier, Okodudu appreciated NIMASA for its contributions to CELTRAS, particularly the construction of an office complex for the Centre. He said he was impressed with the pace of the Centre’s growth from a humble beginning in 2012.

“When I behold the edifice being built to house CELTRAS, I am very impressed that we are benefitting from the dividends of creativity,” the Vice Chancellor said.

Acting Director of CELTRAS, Dr. Gladys Emenike, disclosed that the Centre had graduated three PhD students, including Jamoh.

CELTRAS, a foremost centre for logistics, transport and supply chain management in Nigeria, was established in 2012. Its mission includes production of qualified professionals with adequate knowledge and practical skills to understand and solve logistics and transport problems in the country.

The Governing Board of CELTRAS is charged with the responsibility of identifying and developing strategies for the Centre’s growth, and effective and mutually beneficial relationship with government and industry.

Other members of the Board are Managing Director/CEO, Delta Marine Limited; representative of the Minister of Transportation; representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Transport; representative of the Corps Marshal/CEO, Federal Road Safety Corps; National Executive Director, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Nigeria; Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology; Dean, School of Graduate Studies, University of Port Harcourt; Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt; and Acting Director, Centre for Logistics and Transport Studies, University of Port Harcourt.

JAMOH UNDERSCORES STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF BADAGRY DEEP SEAPORT

·      As NIMASA Establishes Presence

Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, says the Badagry Deep Seaport project in Lagos State is a strategic step towards the development of Nigeria as a global maritime hub. Jamoh stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the paramount ruler of Badagry Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, De-Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi 1, the Akran of Badagry.

Director General of NIMASA Dr. Bashir Jamoh (L) receiving a plaque from the Akran of Badagry, His Royal Majesty, De-Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi 1, when the NIMASA DG paid a courtesy visit to the paramount ruler of Badagry on New year’s Day.

 

The visit was symbolic, coming on the first day of the year. Jamoh said it was meant to honour the traditional ruler and his kingdom for allocating land to NIMASA to establish a presence in the community, as Nigeria’s maritime regulatory authority, before the take-off of the deep seaport project, which foundation is expected to be laid this month.

The Director-General stated, “Nigeria is strategically located at a significant point in the Atlantic Ocean, with about 853 kilometres coastline, which gives us a geographic advantage to become a maritime hub for not only the West and Central African region, but also the entire maritime trading world. And with over 70 per cent of cargo bound for West and Central Africa destined for Nigeria, we also have a huge commercial advantage.

“The Badagry Deep Seaport, planned to be Africa’s biggest and most advanced seaport when it becomes operational, would help to maximise this extraordinary maritime potential. This is more so given the strategic place of Badagry in the region.”  

Jamoh thanked the Akran for his hospitality and the land allocated to NIMASA. He promised that the land would be judiciously utilised. The Director-General assured that he would work with the traditional ruler and the kingdom to see to the implementation of the deep seaport project.

Earlier, Jamoh, who was personally received at the palace by the Akran and his council of chiefs, was presented with the Badagry Pilgrimage Award. It is a special recognition accorded dignitaries for visiting the town.

Commenting on the deep seaport project, the Alipoto of Badagry Kingdom, Chief Gbenga Fayemi, said it was important for Badagry and the country, stressing that the project is suitably located since Badagry lies between the lagoon and the ocean.

In her own remarks, Princess A. F. I. Senami Akran said the visit of the NIMASA Director-General and the coming of the deep seaport to Badagry represented a blessing to the community.

The Badagry Deep Seaport project is being executed through a public-private partnership overseen by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, and Lagos State Government, as well as a private consortium of APM Terminals, Orlean Invest, Oando, Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), and Macquarie.

The deep seaport is located in the Gberefun area of Badagry, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, about 55 kilometres (34 miles) west of the Apapa and Tin Can Island Port complexes. The port is proposed to be about four kilometres of quay and approximately 620 hectares of dedicated port facilities. It will also include facilities for handling containers, dry bulk, liquid bulk, roll-on-roll-off, and general cargo, as well as oil and gas operations support.

The port will have about 480 hectares of Industrial and Logistic Park Zone.

NIMASA, AMNESTY OFFICE PARTNER TO CURB MARITIME CRIMES

 

* Agency Working on Empowerment Programmes in Coastal communities – Jamoh

 

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has declared its intention to work in partnership with the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in the fight against piracy and other crimes in the country’s maritime domain. Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, disclosed this in Abuja during a working visit to the interim Sole Administrator of PAP, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd.).

Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh (right), and interim Sole Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) , Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd.),greeting with elbow bumps when Jamoh paid a working visit to the Amnesty office in Abuja, recently

Jamoh underscored the importance of collaboration among relevant agencies and communities in the quest for maritime security, saying, “We should be working together in partnership to help us appreciate and evaluate the challenges from our various perspectives and collectively come up with solutions that would work for all of us, and the country at large.  

“Security problems more often than not have a local content. So, as the country’s maritime regulatory agency, we want to partner the amnesty programme, which interfaces with the littoral communities, to nip the security challenges in the bud, and stand our nation in good stead for the optimisation of our huge maritime resources.” 

Jamoh has prioritised advocacy for inter-agency cooperation in the fight against maritime insecurity since his appointment last year. 

He stated, “We cannot proffer solution to the issues and crisis in the Niger Delta without the collaboration of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.”  

The Director-General said a Maritime Intelligence Unit was recently established by NIMASA to help in the identification of early warning signs in order to prevent security breaches in the littoral areas. He revealed that many of the assets being installed and deployed under the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (the Deep Blue Project) had intelligence gathering capabilities through air, land and sea surveillance. 

Jamoh stated that NIMASA was planning to introduce educational, entrepreneurship training, and skills acquisition programmes in the areas of fishing, clearing and forwarding, and legal bunkering, for people in the coastal communities as a way of empowering them and discouraging criminal tendencies. 

Dikio commended Jamoh for his vision and commitment to maritime security. He also praised the NIMASA Director-General for his passion for inter-agency coordination and collaboration in the security of Nigeria’s maritime environment.  

He said detecting the early warning signs and engaging early responses to prevent security challenges at their early stages would be vigorously pursued.  

The PAP boss expressed the willingness of his agency to partner with NIMASA, especially in the empowerment of the locals. He suggested that the people’s knowledge of the local communities should be leveraged in the area of information gathering.

Dikio advised that the training programme being planned by NIMASA should target subjects relevant to the Niger Delta in order to impact them directly and get to the root of the problem. He also suggested the appointment of nodal officers from PAP and NIMASA to interface and harmonise action points to fast-track the actualisation of the partnership for the overall good of the maritime sector.

Peterside Tasks New Service Chiefs' To Justify Appointment By Buhari

The immediate past Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has commended President Muhammadu Buhari over the appointment of new service chiefs.

 

This is just as he has tasked them to justify the confidence reposed in them by the president in ensuring that there is synergy in the battle against insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping.   

 

According to him, naming new helmsmen to head the various military formations has once again proven that the president listens and acts within the confines of his mandate.

 

He noted that President Buhari has once again risen to the occasion by appointing new top military personnel to provide added impetus in determined efforts by the federal government to make Nigeria more secure.

 

Dr. Peterside called on the new service chiefs to do all within their powers to arrest remnants of insecurity in parts of the country, in addition to working with the civil society and collaborating across agencies and institutions.

 

According to him, “the new service chiefs are coming in at a time when Nigerians are demanding more decisive actions against insurgents, bandits, and kidnappers. They sure have their works cut out; it is obvious that they will be under pressure to perform.

 

“The president has responded to the yearning of Nigerians by bringing fresh hands on board. We must all support them to succeed. Security is for all of us and we must contribute our quota by assisting them in whatever way we can.

 

“We must also commend the outgone service chiefs. They gave their best in the fight against crime and criminality. It now behooves on their successors to consolidate on what they meet on the ground and build upon it.”