The Calabar Port manager, Olumati Festus, has called for a collaboration of Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) and maritime security stakeholders to tackle sea pirates.
Olumati made the call during a public lecture he delivered at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) on Thursday.
The Calabar Port manager, who spoke on the theme; ‘Promoting Safety in Maritime Industries, Pollution Prevention and Fire Safety’, at the event
organised by the Department of Oceanography, UNICAL, stated that without proper synergy among the various maritime stakeholders, it would be difficult to manage the nation’s ports effectively and efficiently.
He stressed that the establishment of Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy by the present administration has placed enormous task on the shoulders of maritime stakeholders in ensuring that they pull their resources together, and strategise to boost activities of the ministry to deliver on its mandate.
Olumati maintained that with collaboration among maritime security stakeholders, vessels can come in and out of the ports and deliver their goods and services without obstruction from sea pirates, kidnappers and other criminal elements disturbing maritime activities.
“This is why we are calling for collaboration of maritime security stakeholders and management of Nigeria Port Authority to ensure that vessels passing through our waterways delivering goods and services without hitch,” he maintained.
The Port Manager explained that the activities of sea pirates and kidnappers have played a major role in casting doubt in the minds of international key players in the maritime industry.
He stressed that the safety of vessels, personnel and other strategic components of the sector, is key as no financial institution and insurance firm would guarantee letters of credit for exporters and importers whose businesses are prone to the nefarious activities of anti-maritime actors.
He lauded the Nigerian Navy and the Marine Police for their tireless efforts at ensuring that the nation’s waterways and boundaries were safe for international trade to thrive.