Captain Adewale Ishola, a former President of the National Association of Master Mariners, believes the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency may not be held liable for the recent sinking of a gunboat.
NIMASA/Barugu, one of the gunboats in the Global West Vessels Specialists fleet, sank yesterday while apparently stationed outside the NIMASA Resource Centre at the Kirikiri Terminal in Lagos.
Seafarers onboard the adjacent vessels criticized NIMASA for carelessness in a video that went viral online, alleging they had reported the approaching calamity to NIMASA.
However, on Friday, Ishola stated that entering a vessel that had been seized was impossible.
He said, “NIMASA has come out to say that the vessel was being confiscated, so why would I speak on a vessel that is under litigation.
“The maintenance and otherwise is between the EFCC and NIMASA so let them solve their problems. I cannot talk about that. According to NIMASA, the vessel belongs to Global West Vessel Specialist Limited which is under arrest.
“If NIMASA is not able to maintain it you cannot blame the agency because you are not allowed to go into a vessel when it is being impounded. You cannot operate a vessel that is under arrest.
“If NIMASA is not able to maintain it you cannot blame the agency because you are not allowed to go into a vessel when it is being impounded. You cannot operate a vessel that is under arrest.
“You cannot do anything when a vessel is under arrest. You cannot even enter there to do anything; you cannot trade, move, or maintain the vessel. This is a problem between NIMASA and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. It is a court matter and I do not want to get involved.”
