Following a non-compliance of the compulsory Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA on Wednesday shut down four facilities.
The facilities shut by NIMASA are Heyden Petroleum Jetty Ijora Lagos; Waziri Jetty, Dockyard Road Apapa Lagos and Starz Marine Shipyard Limited Onne in Rivers State.
However, in a swift reaction to the closure of the facilities, the Vice Chairman of the Port Facility Security Officers (PFSO) forum, Dr. Zeb Ikokide said that the agency should not have shut down the facilities considering the volume of investment.
Ikokide said the forum can only advise members on how best to ensure compliance in their various facilities adding that it was only the owners of that can take the ultimate decision.
Meanwhile, secretary of the Forum, Mr. Ignatius Uche commended NIMASA for the closure saying that “this is good for both the port industry and the Forum.
Uche said the closure should serve as red alert to other facilities that have refused to update the security of their facilities.
Confirming the closure, Head of Public Relations of the agency, Hajia Lami Tumaka said that the jetties and port facilities for non-compliance with the provisions of the code.
Tumaka explained that the closed facilities have persistently failed to comply with the ISPS code necessitating their closure in order to forestall a situation where security breaches in such facilities will negatively impact the compliant ones.
In her words: “These closures are in exercise of the Agency’s powers in line with provisions of Part VIII of the ISPS Code Implementation Regulations 2014 under which the facilities were adjudged to be non-compliant despite repeated warnings to remedy the deficiencies.
NIMASA has consistently stated its commitment to the enforcement of full compliance with the ISPS Code especially in the face of growing terrorists’ activities globally.
Ultimately all of us are working for a common purpose, a safer world through safety and security of the maritime sub sector.
If we fix our different corners of the earth, the whole world will be safer for everybody. And so no effort should be spared in trying to guarantee safety and security,” Tumaka said.
Tumaka however noted that the facilities will remain shut until the managers of the facilities make necessary efforts to correct the identified deficiencies with full compliance to the dictates of the Code. The exercise, according to the agency is continuous.