Time to engage technocrats – Stakeholders speak on Nigeria’s loss of IMO Council seat

Stakeholders in the nation’s maritime sector have continued to react to Nigeria’s failed bid to secure the Category C seat of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, in an election, which held in London at the IMO assembly last Friday.

The IMO Council, which is the decision-making body of the United Nations specialised agency responsible for regulating the global maritime industry, had on Friday elected 40 States to be members of its Council for the 2022-2023 biennium. 10 were elected into Category A, 10 into Category B and 20 into Category C.

Nigeria had scored 100 votes to come 22^nd out of the 27 that contested under category C for the IMO Council.

Countries elected under category ‘C’, which Nigeria contested, include Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, the Philippines, Singapore, Qater, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey and Vanuatu.

Reacting to the development, a former Director of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Captain Warredi Enisuoh, expressed worry over Nigeria’s serial loss at IMO Council, a development, which he blamed on too many political considerations.

“Nigeria is good at sending non-professionals to the IMO,” he said, stating that now is the time to give technocrats a chance to right the wrong in the industry.

According to him, there are a series of IMO Gap analysis reports, which ought to have been implemented by NIMASA but were instead abandoned because some people feel the ‘document will erase their interest.’

“There have been IMO Audit reports telling us the areas we should focus on. The gap analysis is there. It is all written out in black and white. Some people just don’t want to look at that document simply because they feel the document will erase their relevance and interests.

“In July 2016, Nigeria had a compulsory IMO Audit called IMSAS. After the IMSAS audit, Nigeria was given 90 days to come up with a corrective action plan. That plan I believe was submitted within the time line through GESIS.

“IMO then monitors how well you are following your planned corrective action. Go and check whether you have carried out what you said you would do in the plan you submitted. That platform is where IMO monitors your performance after an audit. Not through the drummer boys you pay.

“Another area is, go and check if Nigeria receives distress messages from ships and act immediately as we are a Regional Maritime Coordination Centre (RMCC). I know that a lot of countries have complained that we hardly respond to distress messages directly. My fellows outside told me we are dead in this area. IMO will be stupid to give you decision making status,” he said.

The former NIMASA Director also queried the presence of foreign navies on Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea despite the deployment of the deep blue assets by NIMASA.

“Two years from now, we will forget and start helping in beating the drums of war for Category C again. Come to think of it, how do you make decisions for others when the others are the ones taking care of your backyards? Britain, Denmark, Russian” he quizzed.

On his part, immediate past President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Eugene Nweke called on NIMASA to apologise to stakeholders and Nigerians for the avoidable financial wastages at IMO.

“Nigerians demand an apology from leadership when they carelessly err or goof. It can’t be business as usual. We must put leadership on their toes and make them realise that they are accountable to Nigerians,” he said.

Also speaking, a former Director General of NIMASA, Mrs. Mfon Usoro, attributed Nigeria’s consistent loss at IMO Council to the fact that the country is not yet recognized as a major maritime nation by member states.

She said to improve Nigeria’s chances of getting re-elected into the Council, the country must focus on becoming a significant maritime nation by efficiently performing its flag state, coastal state and port state functions.

“The goal is not a seat in the IMO Council. That will be a natural consequence of being a major maritime nation. Can one contemplate an IMO Council without the key maritime nations?

“When we become a true maritime nation, member states will lobby us to contest for Council, the IMO will reckon with us. Critical issues that will transform Nigeria into a significant maritime nation is for Nigeria to focus and efficiently perform its flag state, coastal state and port state functions,” she said.