Set to Safeguard Dockworkers’ Welfare
Bashir Jamoh, Director- General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency , NIMASA, is set
to change the narrative in the maritime sector with his commitment and engagement with maritime
stakeholders
By Ovie Edomi
When Bashir Jamoh, Director- General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) met with stakeholders during his 100 days in office and told his audience how he has engaged the international community and his improved relationship with the Navy, the police and seafarers, ship owners among others, those with inside knowledge say the new NIMASA boss has a mind set geared towards changing the narrative for the good of the nation especially the maritime sector, which has the capacity to generate three times, what the nation generates from oil.
As part of the agency’s renewed commitment towards furthering the interest of stevedores as captured in the 2014 Stevedoring Regulation, Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the National Association of Stevedoring Companies (NASC), pledged to work more closely with the NASC to improve the working conditions of dockworkers in the country.
He sought closer partnership between the Agency and NASC, and greater involvement of the stevedoring companies in the ongoing effort to amend the NIMASA Act.
The Director-General stated, “We understand our responsibility towards the dockworkers and we are committed to ensuring that their rights and welfare are safeguarded at all times. Our recent directive to registered stevedoring companies, via a marine notice, to mobilise to their work locations and commence operation is in line with that commitment.
According to the NIMASA boss, “NIMASA is, as always, willing and available to assist dockworkers, the agency remains committed to facilitating an enabling environment for stevedores to operate and thrive.
Furthermore he noted: “As an agency, we need deeper partnership with the stevedoring companies and, indeed, more participation from you in the current effort to amend the NIMASA Act and realise a more robust law that works for all of us. “But we also urge the NASC to be more proactive in communicating challenges you face to facilitate more timely interventions by the Agency.”
Jamoh appreciated the steps the leadership of NASC was taking to improve capacity and welfare of stevedores. He said closer collaboration between the association and NIMASA would result in more efficient operations at the ports and better working conditions for dockworkers.
Earlier, President of NASC, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, who led the visiting delegation, stated that since its inception, the association had provided a platform for discussion, formulation, and implementation of policies affecting maritime labour, with focus on cargo handling operations. Sunmola added that assisting NIMASA in the administration of Maritime Labour, as specified in the relevant enabling Acts, remained a primary focus of the NASC.
He acknowledged the ongoing efforts of NIMASA to enforce the new Stevedoring Regulations and reiterated his association’s readiness to work with the Agency to successfully implement the regulations aimed at improving revenue generation and sustaining capacity building within the maritime industry.
For now as the NIMASA director general takes on seafarers issues, insiders say an incentive for maritime industry stakeholders is equally being planned.
Going by the way the NIMASA boss is going about his task along with his new management team, comprising the former speaker of Delta House of Assembly, Victor Ochiewho is new ED Cabotage, close observers say Nigeria may in the years ahead return to the White list.