In what has become a serious reputational damage coming with a speed of light in less than six months in office, the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola has been issued a query by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola over series of petition against the agency bothering on breach of contract, bribery demand and failure to save the nation another obvious global embarrassment.
Recall that 296 Nigerian Cadets schooling in Centurion University,India under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme(NSDP) have been stranded since January,2024, due to the alleged refusal of the new NIMASA management to meet its financial obligation and thereby abiding by the existing contractual agreement between them and the Springdale Academy of Maritime Education and Training(SAMET), which has alleged months of indebtedness.
SAMET, which is the consulting arm of the Centurion University, by the contractual agreement has the responsibility of training the NSDP Cadets for undergraduate degrees in Nautical Science and Marine Engineering including securing Sea Time and issuing Certificate of Competency(CoC), a job it was said to discharged satisfactorily for over four years and paid accordingly until lately.
One of the stranded Cadets in a flow of lamentation said, they could not meet their basic needs in India because their monthly stipend has stopped coming and when they confronted the school authority they were told NIMASA had reneged on the agreement.
Following this,SAMET through its Attorney, Kunle Adegoke & Co. and AI Law Firm, have written a series of letter to the management of NIMASA, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Attorney General of the Federation, among other authorities for intervention.
In a mediation letter dated July 22,2024, addressed to the Director General of NIMASA, titled “ Springdale Academy of Maritime Education and Training Formal Complaint Regarding the Conduct of ED ML &CS NIMASA: Harassment, Bullying and Contractual Discrepancies,” AI Law firm, alleged that their client’s character was defamed by the ED during a meeting even as a media report had alleged some NIMASA officials demanded “settlement” to effect payment.
The query letter dated August 28,2024 , signed by the Director, Maritime Safety and Security, Babatunde Bombata for the Minister, stated, “I am directed to forward herewith a copy of the attached self-explanatory correspondence addressed to your Agency, copied the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and to the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy respectively, dated 19th July,2024 on the above subject from the Law Firm of Kunle Adegoke & Co., a Solicitor to the Springdale Academy of Maritime Education and Training Trust(SAMET) for your necessary input/comments.”
The letter addressed to the Director General but attention the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Jubril Abba further stated, ”I am to request you to kindly respond to allegations raised in the aforesaid letter with utmost urgency, seven(7) days from the date of receipt of this letter to enable the Ministry/Minister Act as appropriate”.
The ED, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services’ attention was called because he has been at the center of the raging scandal yet has refused to budge despite the implication on the agency, students and the international image of the nation at this critical time, MMS Plus gathered.
However, MMS Plus gathered that this controversy preceded the coming of the new DG of NIMASA who confided in some close associates that he would not like to be called out in this regard, especially when it bothered on allegations of bribery which he has to vicariously account for as the leader.
He has avoided a number of meetings on the Cadets placement indebtedness to SAMET and Centurion University in India, but has maintained that NIMASA is committed to sustaining the training programme and offsetting the backlog of debts arising from NSDP across the globe.
MMS Plus reached out to the spokesperson of NIMASA, Mr. Osagie Edward for comments on the query but he would not talk.
The query may have stemmed from the need to save Nigeria another international embarrassment akin to the seizure of the nation’s presidential fleet by a Chinese firm over breach of contractual agreement and lately, the global reputational smear by the corruptions claims of the new national team coach, Bruno Labbadia, who resumed and threw in the towel in four days, alleging demands for 10 per cent bribe by politicians and civil servants.
