The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside, has revealed that when the agency acquired the multi-billion Naira Floating Dock facility in 2018, it was initially designed to berth in Delta State but berthed in Lagos due to reports and surveys that emanated at the time it was acquired.
Speaking in Lagos, during a World Press Conference held over the weekend ahead of the maritime industry corporate dinner and awards, the NIMASA DG stated that series of reports and surveys that emanated after the Floating Dock was acquired debarred the facility from being taken to Delta State.
According to Dakuku Peterside: “Initially, when the Floating Dock was acquired, the design was for it to berth somewhere in Delta State.
“That was the original design, but at that time, there was a lot of reports and surveys advising that it should not be taken to Delta State.
“At that time, when the Floating Dock was acquired, there were a lot of surveys and report advising against the berthing of the Floating Dock in Delta State. Those reports and surveys are still available till date.
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“So, NIMASA was forced to review all those surveys and reports and make the best decision in the interest of the nation and the shipping community concerning the Floating Dock. One of the reports came from the firm that built the Floating Dock.
“That is why the Floating Dock is still in the Naval Dockyard in Lagos. We arrived at this based on all the reports and surveys we received on the Floating Dock. We are simply following due process on the operating berthing space. What we have now in Lagos is a storage berthing space. Very soon, we will commence operations at the operating location of the Floating Dock.”
On prevention of marine pollution, the NIMASA DG revealed that the agency has successfully carried out hazardous wastes and dangerous chemical tracking programmes under the IMDG Code at all operational zones.
In the words of Dakuku Peterside: “In line with the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of wastes and other matter 1972, commonly called the “London Convention” and also abbreviated as Marine Dumping, NIMASA is doing a lot in the area of managing and maintaining the country’s marine environment by engaging the services of marine litter marshals.
“NIMASA is determined to ensure cleaner oceans safe for navigation. The Agency’s Marine Environment Management Department successfully carried out the following, hazardous wastes and dangerous chemical tracking programmes under the IMDG Code at all the agency’s operational zones.
“Developed the IMDG portal and installation of exact Earth and Hazcheck Systems software for tracking of dangerous goods in Nigeria. This activity was in fulfilment of chapter 7 of the SOLAS Convention and Annexes 2 and 3 of MARPOL Convention. The identified gaps in the management of chemicals and hazardous wastes management in the maritime domain had been addressed.
“Currently remodelling the Marine Pollution Laboratory to an internationally accepted modern. This will take care of the laboratory analysis aspects of the relevant IMO Marine Environment Conventions (such as the Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response Cooperation (IOPC) Ballast Water Convention, Anti-Fouling Systems(AFS) when completed.”
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