By Dipo Olowookere
Three jetties and port facilities have been closed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for non-compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code in Nigeria.
The facilities are Heyden Petroleum Jetty Ijora Lagos; Waziri Jetty, Dockyard Road Apapa Lagos and Starz Marine Shipyard Limited Onne in Rivers State.
According to NIMASA, these facilities have persistently failed to comply with the ISPS code necessitating their closure in order to forestall a situation where security breaches in such facilities will negatively impact the compliant ones.
The agency said it had to take this step pursuant to its mandate as the Designated Authority (DA) for the implementation of the ISPS Code in Nigeria.
It further explained that the action was in exercise of its powers in line with provisions of Part VIII of the ISPS Code Implementation Regulations 2014 under which the facilities were adjudged to be non-compliant despite repeated warnings to remedy the deficiencies.
NIMASA has consistently stated its commitment to the enforcement of full compliance with the ISPS Code especially in the face of growing terrorists’ activities globally.
While hosting a pre-assessment team from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) recently, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside expressed the determination of the agency to enforce the code saying that “ultimately all of us are working for a common purpose, a safer world through safety and security of the maritime sub sector. If we fix our different corners of the earth, the whole world will be safer for everybody. And so no effort should be spared in trying to guarantee safety and security.”
All shut facilities have been informed to remain closed until the managers of such facilities correct the identified deficiencies in line with the dictates of the Code as the agency said it aims to achieve 100 percent compliance with the cooperation of all stakeholders, stating that the exercise was continuous.
