Nigeria is Seen as World Headquarters of Piracy, DG NIMASA Tells Senate
*Maritime crime hits NIMASA’s contribution to Consolidated Revenue Fund from N22bn in 2017 to N16bn in 2018
By Gift Apeh
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Tuesday described the level of maritime crime as high, saying Nigeria is seen as the headquarters of piracy in the world.
Dakuku while defending his agency’s 2019 budget said that the country being the headquarters of poverty in the world is also seen as the world’s headquarters of piracy.
He told the Senate Committee on Marine Transport that this was the perception within the international maritime sector.
Dakuku was responding to a question posed by members of the Committee on why the agency’s contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund went down from N22bn in 2017 to N16bn, a development he attributed to maritime crime.
He told the Senate Committee that the major problem in Nigeria was more of maritime crime and not piracy which is committed on high seas.
He however added, “but within the sector, Nigeria is largely seen as headquarters of Piracy in the world.”
The NIMASA DG pleaded with members of the Committee led by Senator Ahmed Sani to assist in the concurrence process of the Maritime Security Bill, adding that the country needs adequate security on the territorial waters.
The House of Representatives had earlier passed the Bill.
Ambode: Our World Class Jetty Will Check Insecurity in Riverine Areas
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State Tuesday said that the construction of a world class jetty in riverine areas of the state was mainly to check insecurity.
Ambode who spoke while inaugurating Ilaje road, Bariga Waterfront Jetty and five ferries expressed concerns about cult clashes and insecurity that have led to many killings in the areas.
He disclosed that it was as a result of killings that forced the state government to stop dredging and similar activities in ilaje areas.
“What we are doing here today is strategic. I will remind you what actually brought us here so that in future if you are talking about urban regeneration. You can use this particular project as a very clear example of how to turn things around.
“A lot of people have forgotten. In 2015, the beginning of our security challenges actually started from this particular spot. There were always cult rivalries in this particular community. People were actually going house-to- house to kill each other.
“I tried to find out what was actually responsible. We discovered that a lot of the cult members were having free access to money by dredging the sand and selling it. They were making free money to use it to harm other people in the community.
“So, when we came towards the end of 2015, we visited the community. We saw that it was a dump site. We were looking for a way to solve the security challenges in the community. We decided to stop sand dredging in this whole neighbourhood,”
“The Bariga Jetty will serve as a terminal where people in this part of our state can access ferry services and easily get to other jetties at Ikorodu, Marina, Falomo and Badore in Ajah. This jetty has a 150-car parking lot where people can park their cars comfortably and get on a ferry taking them to other parts of the State.
“Of the five new ferries we are commissioning today, four are passenger ferries while one is a car barge which can move cars to the other jetties as may be required by people who want to drive in the other locations. The thinking behind these projects is inclusion; an inclusion where every resident of our State has a say, feels the impact of government in their lives and is given the opportunity to realise their dreams.”
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