The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
(NIMASA) on Tuesday closed Obat Oil and Petroleum Ltd., jetty at Ibafon for
non-compliance with provisions of the International Ship and Port Facility Security
(ISPS) Code.
(NIMASA) on Tuesday closed Obat Oil and Petroleum Ltd., jetty at Ibafon for
non-compliance with provisions of the International Ship and Port Facility Security
(ISPS) Code.
This is contained in statement by the Head of Public
Relations, Hajia Lami Tumaka.
The statement said the action was pursuant to NIMASA’s
mandate as the Designated Authority (DA) for the implementation of the
International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
mandate as the Designated Authority (DA) for the implementation of the
International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
“This closure is in exercise of the Agency’s powers in
line with provisions of Part VIII of the ISPS Code Implementation Regulations
2014.
line with provisions of Part VIII of the ISPS Code Implementation Regulations
2014.
“The facility was adjudged to be non-compliant despite
repeated warnings and extension of time graciously granted its management over
the past year,” it read in part.
repeated warnings and extension of time graciously granted its management over
the past year,” it read in part.
According to the statement, the Agency has commenced
the shutting of port facilities that have persistently failed to comply with
the ISPS code.
the shutting of port facilities that have persistently failed to comply with
the ISPS code.
It said the exercise was to forestall a situation where security
breaches in such facilities would negatively impact the compliant ones.
breaches in such facilities would negatively impact the compliant ones.
It also said any shut facility would remain closed until
the managers of such facilities correct the identified deficiencies and pay a
prescribed fine before they would be reopened for business.
the managers of such facilities correct the identified deficiencies and pay a
prescribed fine before they would be reopened for business.
The statement said NIMASA had grown the number of compliant
facilities to over 80 per cent of the 129 facilities since May 2013 when it
became the Designated Authority.
facilities to over 80 per cent of the 129 facilities since May 2013 when it
became the Designated Authority.
It added that at the time, only less than 10 facilities
were ISPS Code-compliant.
were ISPS Code-compliant.
The statement said that the agency was working to achieve 100 per
cent compliance, to guarantee the security of ships and port facilities
especially in this period when terrorist activities had heightened.
cent compliance, to guarantee the security of ships and port facilities
especially in this period when terrorist activities had heightened.
The exercise will be continous, according to the statement.
