Vincent Toritseju
23 February 2018, Sweetcrude, Warri — The House Committee on Marine Education and Administration yesterday queried the Federal Ministry of Transport and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, over the issuance of Cabotage waivers, challenging them to make available the number of waivers so far approved.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Warrior Delta, the Committee Chairman, Hon Mohammed Bago said that process of granting waivers under Cabotage was being shrouded in secrecy.
Bago said the law establishing the Cabotage provides that waivers should be granted through a process adding that that process must be adhered to.
He lambasted NIMASA and the Ministry for denying the granting of waivers when foreign ships are operating on the nation’s local waters.
He said “NIMASA and the Ministry of Transportation said they have not granted waivers to foreign operators in the last 6 years or more years.
“If they haven’t, how are these foreign operators operating in Nigeria, to the detriment of our indigenous operators, many of whom are here today?
“ My message, therefore, is that if NIMASA and the Federal Ministry of Transportation in treating an application for waivers under Cabotage as provided for in section 9 to 14 of the Cabotage law, follows the requirement of articles 3-8 of the Executive Order, then the indigenous operators will be for the better.
“There will longer be foreign ships scattered in our waterways operating without waivers.
“In addition, observance of these articles will ensure that the expectation of the law attached to waivers, such as the provision of plans by these foreign concerns to bring in indigenous will be met”
Reacting to the development, Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi noted that if these waivers were not granted, the presence of foreign operators in the nation’s coastal waters will not be as it is currently is.
Sources close to the Committee told Vanguard that most of them are not waivers per se, but receipts of the monies paid for waivers.
