NIMASA Commences Rescue Mission of Hijacked Crew Board

…Assures NDSP Cadets of Sea-time training

 The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has commenced search rescue operations for the abducted 12 crew members onboard MV GLARUS owned by ALLISON Shipping.

The ship was hijacked off Bonny Island in Rivers State.

According to the Director General of the Agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, NIMASA is working closely with the Forward Operation Base (FOB) and the Falcon Eye of the Nigerian Navy along with other relevant security Agencies to ensure the crew is rescued unconditionally and safely.

Dr. Dakuku who condemned the joint operation on Monday, noted that the Agency is saddened about the attack and assured that NIMASA will not leave any stone unturned in the rescue mission. He also assured that the perpetrators of this act and others of its kind are brought to book.

“The issue of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a challenge we acknowledge and we are determined to tackle it head-on. We will continue to collaborate with the Nigerian Navy and other relevant partners to ensure we bring it to a halt. Zero tolerance to piracy and all forms of illegalities on our nation’s waterways is our goal”, the DG said.

Meanwhile, the agency has assured NDSP Cadets of Sea-time training as 200 More Seafarers Set for Next Batch.

Peterside has assured of the agency’s commitment to ensuring that all beneficiaries of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) conclude their programme by getting the mandatory sea-time training.

The DG who stated this when he addressed a group of NSDP beneficiaries who came to the head office of the agency to express concerns over the certainty of them getting the sea-time training, noted that NIMASA is doing all it can to ensure all those who graduated in the scheme are duly enrolled on ocean-going vessels within the shortest possible time.

He also assured that in addition to the over 600 Cadets who have benefitted so far from the sea time training, the Agency is working so hard to ensure that another batch of not less than 200 Cadets are enrolled between now and the first quarter of 2019.

Speaking further, Dr. Dakuku informed them that the Agency is in discussions with some foreign institutions to place seafarers on board ocean-going vessels and that in no distant time more cadets will be placed on board for their sea-time training.

He also used the opportunity to commend the contribution of seafarers to the growth of the economy, expressed confidence that in no distant time, Nigeria will be a great exporter of seafarers on the African continent

It may be recalled that out of the over 2,000 beneficiaries of the scheme, 340 cadets have already completed their sea-time training. In addition to this, 150 Cadets are undergoing the sea-time in Egypt and another 89 others are in the United Kingdom.