By Kenneth Jukpor
Barely two weeks after a committee led by Engr. Emmanuel Ilori, saddled with improving Nigeria’s ship registry submitted its final report, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has inaugurated an implementation monitoring committee.
As part of efforts to improve the nation’s ship registry, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside had assured that the agency would institute an implementation committee to monitor the implementation of the report.
Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, Dakuku described ship registry as the face of a nation’s maritime industry and indicative of the country’s status as a maritime nation.
Dakuku, who was represented by the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, said, “the fact that the Ship Registry along with the Maritime Safety Department are charged with the onerous responsibility of keeping unseaworthy ships away from the flag. It was with the foregoing in mind that the primary Committee was established in February 2018 and its report submitted a couple of weeks back has made far-reaching recommendations which the Director General has promised to implement as vest as we can”
“I have the honour of inaugurating the Implementation Monitoring Committee of the Ship Registry Reforms this 20th day of August 2019 with Engr. Emmanuel Ilori as the Chairman” Gambo said.
The Terms of Reference of the Implementation Monitoring Committee include, review the Recommendations of the Committee and extract immediately, actionable items on short, medium and long term basis for Executive Management consideration and approval.
The committee would also undertake any other task relating to the implementation of the Committee’s report as may be directed by the Executive Management.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Ilori commended NIMASA for its decision to keep its promise to set up an implementation committee even as he revealed that the committee for the Nigerian ship register had world known classification society, Lloyd’s Register, DNV GL, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) listed as members.
“Going forward, we have been charged to implement the report and define the best ways to achieve results and we would do it, this is a commitment I can give on behalf of the members, the result is not just for ourselves, but for the sake of this nation” Ilori said.
