Kunle Kalejaye 13 April 2016, Sweetcrude, Lagos – Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has expressed the agency’s desire to work with other stakeholders and expedite action on the passage of the aAnti-piracy and Other Related Crimes at Sea Bill into law.
Peterside, who stated this at a 4-day workshop organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the United States government in Lagos, said the bill was necessary to provide the requisite framework for the fight, prosecution and punishment of piracy and related maritime crimes in Nigeria.
Peterside also called on participants at the workshop to do a thorough job so as to ensure early passage into law when presented to the National Assembly as it will reduce the legislative input that may cause delays.
He assured participants and maritime stakeholders that the Agency would collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Federal Ministry of Justice and all relevant stakeholders to ensure early conclusion of work on the draft bill and ultimate transmission to the National Assembly for enactment.
Mr. Guiseppe Sernia and Philip Drew, both of the UNODC, were facilitators at the workshop where it was agreed that the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA will meet again to fine tune the draft anti-piracy bill before sending it to the Federal Ministry of Transportation for presentation to the Federal Executive Council and ultimate transmission to the National Assembly.