Tuesday 1 December 2015

FOR VIOLATING ISPS CODE, NIMASA SHUTS OBAT OIL’S JETTY

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has shut down a jetty at Ibafon owned by Obat Oil and Petroleum Limited over non-compliance with the provisions of the code.

In a statement signed by Head, Public Relations, Hajia Lamin Tumaka, which was made available to Tectono Business Review, NIMASA said the decision was made to pursue its mandate as the Designated Authority (DA) for the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. It further explained that the agency exercised its powers in line with provisions of part VIII of the ISPS code implementation regulations 2014.

According to Hajia Tumaka, the facility was considered to be non-compliant after repeated warnings and extension of time graciously granted its management over the past year.

In Hajia Tumaka’s own words: “Going by the saying that a chain is as strong as its weakest link, Management of the Agency has commenced the shutting of port facilities that have persistently failed to comply with the ISPS code so as to forestall a situation where security breaches in such facilities will negatively impact the compliant ones.

“Any shut facility will remain closed until the managers of such a facility correct the identified deficiencies and pay a prescribed fine before they will be reopened for business.”

It will be recalled that NIMASA, which formally became the Designated Authority for the implementation of the code in May 2013 when compliant facilities were less than 10, has progressively grown the number to over 80% of the nation’s 129 facilities.

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