After about two months of being stranded and starving in the Philippines, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has finally announced that a team will be sent to visit the cadets on the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
NIMASA stated that it would send a fact-finding team to the Philippines in response to the recent protest by some of its cadets as part of the National Seafarers Development Programme.
According to reports, some of the cadets who were interviewed lamented that their ordeal was caused by the NIMASA authorities’ neglect and nonpayment of their allowances, which made it impossible for them to renew their house rents, obtain visas, and cover other expenses.
The cadets, who claim to number around 117, have complained that they were supposed to finish the course in four years, but it has now been extended to ten due to several delays and arbitrary extensions of some of their examinations.
Meanwhile, Osagie Edward, NIMASA’s Assistant Director of Public Relations, said the agency was reviewing the cost of direct sponsorship of the cadets because it was aware that the cost of living had risen, particularly in the Philippines, due to global inflation.
However, NIMASA announced on Saturday that it had received Ministerial approval for an assessment visit in October to ascertain the issues firsthand in order to fully and finally address them.
The statement read in part,
“Our Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Victor Ochei, will lead the fact-finding mission to the Philippines to engage with the school and the cadets. As responsible management, we must deal with this from an informed position, as the matter far predates this administration.
“While we regret the embarrassment this may have caused all concerned; we urge caution and avoidance of any speculative reporting until the official outcome of the on-the-spot evaluation to the Philippines is submitted.”