… Suggest more ways to make floating dock work
Industry stakeholders at the weekend called on the Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) to partner the Nigerian Ports
Authority(NPA) in order to effectively utilize its newly-acquired floating
dock.
Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) to partner the Nigerian Ports
Authority(NPA) in order to effectively utilize its newly-acquired floating
dock.
The stakeholders who spoke at an event in Apapa said it was needful for
NIMASA to take a decision on putting the floating dock to use immediately than allowing
the about N50 billion facility lay wasted at the Marina.
The stakeholders who were discussing the maritime industry issues said
that partnering with the NPA would be the best option as it already has capacity
for operations of the floating dock at the Continental ship yard.
that partnering with the NPA would be the best option as it already has capacity
for operations of the floating dock at the Continental ship yard.
They noted that the NPA floating dock at the continental ship yard had not been operational
for a long time due to technical issues, therefore making room for a new one to
replace it if and when an agreement could be considered.
for a long time due to technical issues, therefore making room for a new one to
replace it if and when an agreement could be considered.
A stakeholder, who spoke on the ground of anonymity said that an option
of leasing the NIMASA floating dock to Niger Dock would have been one to be
considered, but that the Niger Dock already has an operational one.
A mariner told the gathering that several tug boats and other service boats would immediately patronize the floating dock if it started working, as they continually have need for maintenance, adding that some dry docking facility was too small to take in a vessel they had wanted to maintain.
of leasing the NIMASA floating dock to Niger Dock would have been one to be
considered, but that the Niger Dock already has an operational one.
A mariner told the gathering that several tug boats and other service boats would immediately patronize the floating dock if it started working, as they continually have need for maintenance, adding that some dry docking facility was too small to take in a vessel they had wanted to maintain.
Earlier, the stakeholders suggested that NIMASA set up a panel of technical
experts to advise on the best
operational use for the floating dock.
experts to advise on the best
operational use for the floating dock.
They condemned the acquisition of the facility by NIMASA, saying that the agency should remain within its
regulatory functions, even as one of them called for caution, recalling how a similar situation
arose during Mrs. Kema Chikwe’s time as transport minister when one of the national
shipping line vessels was left to waste and eventually sold as scrap.
“They took the ship to
America, Port State Control arrested the ship. Instead of doing what the
PSC wanted it to do for months, eventually when they wanted to release
the ship, it sailed across without cargo and came here for years. .. by the time the ship became a wreck, it was sold,” he said.
regulatory functions, even as one of them called for caution, recalling how a similar situation
arose during Mrs. Kema Chikwe’s time as transport minister when one of the national
shipping line vessels was left to waste and eventually sold as scrap.
“In the light of the problem
that we had with NNSL, there was one of the vessels that was parked here
for years and eventually it was sold as scrap when Mrs Kema Chikwe was
Transport Minister.
that we had with NNSL, there was one of the vessels that was parked here
for years and eventually it was sold as scrap when Mrs Kema Chikwe was
Transport Minister.
“They took the ship to
America, Port State Control arrested the ship. Instead of doing what the
PSC wanted it to do for months, eventually when they wanted to release
the ship, it sailed across without cargo and came here for years. .. by the time the ship became a wreck, it was sold,” he said.
The stakeholders posited that a lack of proper planning regarding the floating
dock would actually be costing the agency over $20,000 USD for daily maintenance
since June 11, 2018 when the agency received the facility.
However, NIMASA had earlier assured that the floating dock would save the country capital flight when it begins its operations.
