Ghana remains open to new ideas in pursuing maritime Security

Naval Forces of countries along the Gulf of Guinea cannot maintain maritime security alone without cooperation and collaboration from relevant stakeholders, Rear Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of the Naval Staff has said.

Rear Admiral Amoama observed that every area of maritime security has its dimensions that required cooperation and collaboration with relevant actors to drive up issues such as environmental protection, sustainable fishing and over-exploitation of other resources in the sea.

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Source: myjoyonline.com

Senate threatens NIMASA DG with arrest over maritime security probe

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh

The Senate has threatened to compel the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, via a warrant, to appear before it to answer questions on his agency’s involvement in the operation of alleged illegal security services in the nation’s waterways.

The Senate Joint Committee on Navy, Marine Transport and Finance yesterday described the Dakuku’s failure to honour its invitation as disrespectful.

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Source: guardian.ng

19 crew kidnapped from HK-flagged VLCC off Nigeria

Sam Chambers

The piracy situation in West Africa has descended to new lows with a VLCC raided by armed men yesterday and 19 crew kidnapped. The attack on the Anglo-Eastern-managed Nave Constellation took place 66 nautical miles south of Bonny Offshore Terminal, and 24 nautical miles east of the Egina FPSO.

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Source: splash247.com

MarsecNews: Security sources say that the incident occurred at around 1820 UTC on December 3rd, some 80nm South of Bonny. The kidnapped group is believed to consist of 18 Indian nationals and one crew member from Turkey. Controlling such a large number of crew suggests an equally large number of perpetrators, something we haven’t seen in the region for a while.

Senate queries $198m waterways security contract to Israeli firm

Sanni Onogu

The Senate Tuesday raised the alarm over a contract by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to an Israeli security firm, HSLI, to police the nation’s waterways at a total cost of $198million.

The Senators queried Rear Admiral Tariworio Dick, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas, at a joint investigative hearing on the activities of the Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMSL) which hitherto provided security services at the Secured Anchorage Area (SAA) at the Lagos Port.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

Security contract: Ocean Marine threatens to sue NPA

Sunday Aborisade

The Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, a maritime security company, has threatened legal action if the Nigerian Ports Authority fails to rescind its order suspending its security contract at the Lagos ports.

The NPA suspended the OMSL multi-million dollars contract at the ports based on the directive of the Senate, which has also commenced a probe of its activities.

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Source: punchng.com

NASS petitioned over secure anchorage area

A group pushing for security of shipping services in the country has petitioned the National Assembly over the pronouncement by the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), instructing shipping operators to stop paying for personalised security services offered in the Secured Ancourage Area, (SAA) operated by the Nigerian Navy in collaboration with private firm, Ocean Marine Solutions (OMS) Limited.

The group, under the aegis of “Association of Professionals for Safety in Shipping in Nigeria,” APOSSIN, noted that the directive was not only ill-advised but also will be counter-productive, stressing that NPA does not have the authority to make such pronouncement on an arrangement by another agency of government to deliver on its mandate. The SAA is outside the port limits and hence not under the administrative control of the NPA. Security of the nation’s maritime domain statutorily rests on the Nigerian Navy. NPA by the pronouncement is interfering with the functions of the Nigerian Navy, a move that must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.

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Source: vanguardngr.com

OMSL: SAA does not constitute a threat to national security

Ocean Marine Solution Limited (OMSL) has faulted the claim by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that the Secure Anchorage Area (SSA) manned by it, in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, constituted a threat to national security.

A Secure Anchorage Area is an area outside the Lagos port that the Nigerian Navy, together with OMSL, has defined as a secure place where vessels can anchor safely from the threat of pirate attacks.

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Source: nationalaccordnewspaper.com

Shipping firms still pay $2,000 per day for protection of crew, vessel

By Godwin Oritse

Despite the abolition of the controversial safe anchorage area by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, where vessels and crew members wait before they proceed to berths, shipping companies still pay $2,000 per day to operators of the area.

Speaking Vanguard Maritime Report at a maritime stakeholders meeting in Lagos last week, Mr. Mark Wash, Executive Director, ENL Consortium, operators of berth A, B and C at the Apapa port, confirmed that NPA has told shipping firms to stop paying for protection at the ‘safe anchorage’.

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Source: vanguardngr.com

Security At Nigerian Ports Improves Tremendously — NIMASA DG

By Sunday Bassey

Uyo, – The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said on Tuesday that it had improved security tremendously within the country’s maritime space .

The Director General of the agency, Mr Dakuku Peterside, who made this known in an interactive session with newsmen in Uyo, noted that the security of vessels at the ports had improved from 12 per cent to 80 per cent.

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Source: sundiatapost.com