NIMASA, NSIB Disagree On Investigation Of Marine Accidents

The Nigerian Marítime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has disclosed that the agency is studying the law that created the Nigerian Investigation and Safety Bureau (NSIB) for the investigation of Marine accidents on the nation’s coastal water.

This was disclosed by the director general of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, in a chat with LEADERSHIP, against the backdrop of the director general of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh, complaint about the disregard for the bureau’s establishment act of 2022 by the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) and NIMASA by refusing to remit the statutory percentage of their revenue to the bureau to investigate Marine and Railway accidents.

According to Mobereola, the agency has its own accident investigators that report to the minister of Marine and Blue Economy after a Marine incident on the nation’s coastal water.

Mobereola, however, said the agency cannot categorically say where the NSIB relationship will be, but disclosed that the NSIB will hear from the agency soon.

“We are studying the law that created NSIB because NIMASA has accident investigators. We have intelligence and investigation units. They carry out investigation on vessels if there is an accident and report to the Minister of marine and Blue Economy and also give a report to the Shipowners.

“The unit will indict whoever is negligent and until we are sure of what we are doing, we cannot say categorically where the NSIB relationship will be, but we are in discussion with them and they will hear from us soon,” Mobereola stated.

LEADERSHIP reports that the NSIB Establishment Act of 2022 stipulates that NIMASA should remit three per cent of the gross freight from international cargo, while the NRC is required to contribute five per cent of ticket sales and cargo charges.