By Sylvanus Obasi
Today, Nigeria joins the rest of the global community to celebrate 2024 World Maritime Day with the theme, “Navigating the Future: Safety First”.
As the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola leads maritime stakeholders to mark this year’s World Maritime Day event in Lagos this morning, industry watchers expect him to address the issue of stranded 296 Nigerian cadets schooling in Centurion University, India under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme(NSDP) who have been stranded since January, 2024, due to the alleged refusal of the new NIMASA management to meet its financial obligation, thereby reneging on the existing contractual agreement between them and the Springdale Academy of Maritime Education and Training (SAMET), which has alleged months of indebtedness.
Already, ahead of today’s occasion, the FMMBE Minister has issued a public statement assuring the International community that Nigeria would “embrace global safety standards”; even as his surbordinate, the NIMASA DG, Dr Dayo Mobereola also promised that NIMASA would prioritise safety. All in an attempt to add their voices to the theme of this year’s occasion.
However, beyond these usual rhythorics, stakeholders want to see action because charity they say begins at home, especially as it concerns the 296 Nigerian cadets schooling in far away India of which one of the stranded cadets in a flow of lamentation said, they could not meet their basic needs in India because their monthly stipend has stopped coming and when they confronted the school authority they were told NIMASA had reneged on the agreement.
But industry observers are of the opinion that “We cannot claim to be embracing global safety standards or giving assurances of prioritizing safety when our cadets are not safe and secured in meeting their basic needs in India where we have sent them to study on a much hyped scholarship scheme”.
What is the outcome of the petition against NIMASA by SAMET through its Attorney, Kunle Adegoke & Co. and AI Law Firm?
Has NIMASA DG answered the query issued to him by the Minister over the matter? If yes, what is his explanation?
Can we say that all is now well with the 296 cadets in India or has the matter been swept under the carpet while the cadets bear the consequences and suffer in silence?
In the spirit of this year’s theme of world maritime day, it is necessary if not imperative that the Minister uses today’s occasion to address stakeholders on this matter and not gloss over it as if all is well while our cadets suffer in silence in faraway India; this is because while navigating their future: safety should be first for them too.
