TheCable

Bashir Jamoh, director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), says his agency did not give any waiver to foreign shipping firms bringing petroleum products into the country.

Appearing before the senate committee on local content on Wednesday, Jamoh (pictured) said under the cabotage act, the agency can only process the waiver but does not have the power to grant it.

The committee is investigating an alleged breach of statutory regulations and provisions regarding the Nigerian maritime sector.

“The operation of the cabotage act provides that NIMASA has the responsibility under Section 5 (2) to 5 (4) to process waiver and not to grant waiver. NIMASA never grants waiver, but only processes waiver,” Jamoh said.

“As the minister mentioned, if we process, we send it to the ministry of transportation for the minister’s consideration and approval, and to the best of my knowledge, for over 15 years, no minister has granted a waiver.

“In the entire Africa, only Nigeria allows the trading of single whole vessel. The president is aware of this and when I came in, I issued marine notice that by 31st of December we will no longer certify single whole vessel.

“This is because if you want to trade, nobody would accept that particular vessel. That is number one.”

Mkgeorge Onyung, president of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), while appearing before the committee on Tuesday, alleged that the laws were violated in favour of foreign shipping firms.

But the NIMASA DG said only the minister of transportation could grant a waiver and none has done so in the past 15 years.

On his part, Teslim Folarin, chairman senate committee on local content, said the hearing is not an avenue to trade blames.

“We understand that they don’t have enough vessels; they don’t have capacity, but the capacity cannot come from heaven,” Folarin said.