The Federal Government has expressed commitment to ensure that abandoned vessels at the Marina front are cleared because of tendency of the vessels to be used as launching pad of attacks against Nigeria.
More worrisome is the fact that there are no records of the vessels’ mission in the country, and many of them have become wrecks, giving the front of Marina in Lagos, described as the economic nerve centre of the country, an ugly look. Some of the abandoned vessels allegedly engage in all kinds of illegal activities on the nations’ waters unchecked.
To this end, the Federal Government has resolved to ensure that the record of every vessel that berths within the nation’s waters is known, its mission is known, and other relevant statistics and information about the ship are kept by the relevant agencies of government.
Addressing journalists on the need to improve maritime security, Transport Minister, Ibrahim Isa Bio, noted that it was disheartening to see all kind of vessels hanging around Lagos anchorage, whose owners are not known, abandoned there for many years, saying that enemies can plan bombing the country from there.
“If we must improve maritime security, those vessels must be cleared because they not only constitute problems to maritime, but even to the whole nation. Enemies can come there, plan bombing Nigeria from there. Marina is the economic nerve center of the country, yet we allow vessels without knowing who the owners are, abandoned there for years.”
A few weeks ago, the Transport minister inaugurated a 14-man committee on the Auditing, Wrecking, Clearing and Sale of Residual Metals on Nigeria waterways, headed by Rear Admiral Abiodun Olukoya (Rtd). He stressed the need to clear the nations’ navigational channels of barges and boats as well as abandoned vessels that have constituted hazard to safe navigation.
Other members of the committee, which has four months to submit its report are Temisan Omatseye, director general, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) who is also the Vice Chairman, Ishiaku Shekarau, Executive Director, Safety (NIMASA) as well as representatives of the Nigerian Navy, National Security Adviser, Attorney General of the Federation, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Finance and the private sector. Mr Bola Olowosejeje of the Federal Ministry of Transport will serve as the Secretary.
He said it was a matter of utmost concern to note that these seized barges and boats now litter the ports, jetties and channels of several Naval facilities in Warri, Sapele, Lagos, Calabar and Port Harcourt having been detained for long period of time due to bureaucratic bottlenecks and litigation which have hampered their early release.