A Marine Engineer, Mr Olu Akinsoji, on Tuesday urged the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, to restructure the shipping industry. Akinsoji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos the exercise would enhance the director-general‘s performance and achievements.
“He is taking some very huge steps that you didn’t find before; he is less diplomatic and more active. “He should strengthen himself so that his direction can be better defined. “ If we are doing shipping development let’s face shipping development properly and if we are doing maritime safety and regulation concerning shipping, let us face that squarely so that we don’t get these two things mixed up.
“Developing shipping must be seen as social economic growth and in the safety and aspect of dignity of ships.
“Integrity of ships should be seen as a check-point for too much flexibility in shipping development.
“Flexibility that is going to rub on the security and safety of ships and the integrity of the flag.
“When you have an accident and you are investigating it, you will investigate it in a manner that you will not put politics into it, you will investigate in on technical basis.“
He advised Akpobolokemi to devise a systematic plan that would enable Nigerians to man ships.
Akinsoji stressed the need to dwell on issues that would ensure sustainable growth in the maritime industry.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.