It is a big surprise to stakeholders in the maritime industry that NIMASA acquired a floating dock. The money should have been used to support indigenous shipowners as well as dry dock owners, not purchasing a dock. The dock is here and nothing can be done. Operating a dock is similar to operating ships. NIMASA is a maritime administration and they are not supposed to be involved in commercial activities. I believe the purchase of the dock must have been approved and someone at the top gave NIMASA the go ahead because if not, it would not have been bought People are still crying for CVFF and yet money is being spent on buying a floating dock and this is the money contributed by shipowners. This money is meant to have been disbursed to the shipowners for them to improve in fleet enlightenment. This administration need to be more realistic and do the right thing as a regulatory body.
This can be answered in different perspectives. Is it a decision of present administration? If is not, then it will be the previous management that went ahead with the decision. I don’t think it is the decision of the present administration to buy a floating dock but also a floating dock should not be berth. It is meant to start work immediately which should have been properly planned for. NIMASA has to give answers as to why the floating dock is here; what the dock is doing here; what the agency intends to do with it; who planned for it; who commissioned it and the benefit and value to the Nigerian maritime industry?
