The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai has commended the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for its efforts in combating piracy and other criminal activities on Nigeria’s water ways.
General Buratai who said this, when the Ag. Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro paid a working visit to the Army Head Quarters also assured NIMASA of the cooperation of the Army in curbing criminal activities especially in the creeks where barges and other water crafts are used to commit crimes like crude oil theft and piracy.
The Army Chief also used the opportunity to appeal to the Management of NIMASA and other corporate organisations to assist with the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through the Corporate Social Responsibility programmes in order to have them properly re-integrated into the society.
“I want to appeal to you and other responsible corporate bodies to assist with the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons now that calm is being restored to some of those communities because the situation in the camps is not really conducive”, General Buratai said.
He also appealed to NIMASA to engage some children of the soldiers who lost their lives in the battle against insurgency in its Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) as a way of alleviating the suffering of those families.
Earlier in his remarks, the DG of NIMASA congratulated the Chief of Army Staff on his appointment and also commended him for the successes recorded so far in the fight against insurgency in the North East under his leadership.
Mr. Jauro also canvassed the continuous support of the Army in fighting piracy and other criminal activities in Nigerian waters saying the partnership has been very useful in reducing the menace.
The Acting DG however assured the COAS that the management of the Agency will take a holistic look at his requests and come up with very practical initiatives in providing some solution to them.
