AUGUST 26 ,
2013
FG orders shutdown of ports facilities with security challenges ...As US Coast Guards arrive Nigeria BY GODWIN ORITSE
T
HE Federal Government has ordered that any port and terminal facility across the country having security deficiencies be shut down following the arrival of officials of the United States Coast Guards in Nigeria to carry out security audit exercise on Nigerian ports Vanguard learnt. Disclosing this fact to Vanguard the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Maritime Mr. Leke Oyewole said that any terminal or port facility that is found to have security deficiencies will be short before the arrival of the US Coast Guard officials who will begin their inspection exercise on Tuesday.The officials of the US Coast Guards will arrive Nigeria today to carry out an audit exercise of the security deficiencies observed in some ports and terminal facilities to determine their compliance level with International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, Operators of such facilities were seen over the week end putting last minutes measures in place to avoid sanction. The U. S Coast Guard had observed on their first visit that Nigeria port facilities fall short of compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code hence a second verification exercise to test compliance level. Already, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which was appointed as the Designated Authority to midwife the implementation of the ISPS Code, has been collaborating with various stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry to ensure that there are no deficiencies in their facilities. It will be recalled that the United States Government, about three months ago threatened to withdraw shipping services to Nigeria, if some of the security deficiencies observed
MOVEMENT IN NIGERIA’S FOREIGN RESERVES
NIMASA to ensure compliance, industry operators have also expressed concern over Nigeria’s preparedness to meet the ninety days ultimatum saying that the consequences of failing to comply will be very grave. Speaking at the end of its monthly meeting, some members of the Port Facility Security Officers (PFSO) Forum had said that vessels will now sail to neighbouring ports and Nigeria importers will be forced to take delivery of their cargoes from these ports. The officers who spoke on conditions of anonymity also said that non compliance with the Code will not only lead to loss of revenue to government, it will also lead to the loss of jobs at the various port facilities in the country. Addressing the media last week, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Ziakede Akpobolokemi said that the agency encountered some challenges when Continues on page 22
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CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL
in some facilities are not corrected within ninety days. The United States had said it will stop vessels that call at ports and terminals with
deficiencies in Nigeria from entering America territorial waters adding that it will encourage its allied countries to do same. Besides the moves by
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