A master mariner, Capt. Ladi Bem Bekes has urged the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to exercise restraint in implementing the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) convention on the Maritime Labour Convention, (MLC) 2006.
Bekes advised that the implementation of the policies of the convention should be tailored down to the needs of Nigerians, to protect and not to witch hunt already anguished seafarers.
In his words “if NIMASA inspectors are too stringent while enforcing the convention, many Nigerians may be forced to abandon seafaring for illegitimate business on the waters which may be disastrous for the country,” He said.
He further stressed that “When Malaysia domesticated the convention they did not do it to bully their citizens and Nigeria should not be a difference, they should not do it to discourage Nigerians from dong seafaring, they should do it to protect us”.
“NIMASA should try as much as possible to make the implementation not to be too harsh, seafarers need encouragement because most of them do not earn too much and you want them to get the whole certificate the same day? It is not possible,” he answered,
“If the seafarers are expected to have four mandatory’s, but have three they should allow them to go on a voyage or two so that when they returned, they would be able to get the remaining otherwise it will be hard for Nigerians,”.
Meanwhile, Bekes noted that some of his colleagues mentioned that implementation of the MLC 2006 would amount to sending them out of business.
“Colleague are saying with the domestication of MLC 2006, a lot of them will be jumping inside water by the time they see NIMASA’s inspectors coming and also since NIMASA had stop given interim certificate, it may be a difficult time for seafarers.”
However, he appealed that the federal government should give them better recognition, “Government should be mindful that we are Nigerians and we have families, the laws should be made to protect us and not to witch hunt people,” he concluded.