The House of Representatives has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh.
The Deputy Spokesman of the House, Hon. Philip Agbese, gave the commendation on Friday after an oversight visit to the regulatory agency by the House Committee on NIMASA.
Agbese said from all available information, Jamoh has not only transformed the nation’s premium maritime agency, he has also repositioned it for improved trade, revenue generation, and operational efficiency.
He said the NIMASA DG has achieved this by entrenching integrity, accountability, and transparency in the operations of the agency, so much so that he has gained the trust of stakeholders and partners in the maritime sector.
Agbese said the recently inaugurated Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) for the agency was a testament to Jamoh’s zero tolerance for fraudulent activities.
“On resumption of office, Dr Jamoh and his team came up with a performance tripod called ‘Tripple S’ that is; Maritime Safety, Maritime Security and Shipping Development.
“From the facts on the ground, he has achieved his target. Jamoh has defeated the hydra-headed monster called piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. The country has recorded zero attacks on ships in years.
“NIMASA championed the implementation of the Suppression of Piracy and Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, 2019, which has enhanced safer and secured trading routes and ensured proper prosecution of a sizeable number of cases.
“There is evidence that he bridged operational gaps between the maritime sector and other areas while fostering inter-agency collaboration with other federal government-owned organizations.
“Under his watch, we have been told that NIMASA achieved the automation of the registration process of Shipping Companies/Agents resulting in Certificates being embedded with QR Codes for authentication.
“This has successfully eliminated the back-and-forth incidents of alleged fake certificates in the past and has enthroned a greater level of integrity and accountability in the certification process.
“Jamoh has made many other groundbreaking reforms that have improved security on our waterways and boosted the economy. We salute this visionary Nigerian.
“We want to, therefore, urge him to sustain the tempo. He has the full support of the House of Representatives,” Hon. Agbese stated.
