The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has urged the Nigerian judicial system to ensure efficiency and timeliness in the dispensation of justice in maritime related cases, as it will boost stakeholders and investors’ confidence in the system.
The DG stated this during the 8th Strategic Admiralty Law Seminar for Judges organized by NIMASA.
The event was organised in conjunction with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) in Lagos, with the theme: “Strengthening Nigeria’s Admiralty Regime through Effective Implementation of International Maritime and Labour Instruments”.
Dakuku said the maritime sector in Nigeria had opportunities to become an economic driver and this could be fully actualized when the various arms of government worked together.
“Timeliness in justice dispensation is very key to realizing the potentials in the maritime sector so that investors’ can trust our judicial process. The more time taken on a case, the more investment opportunities are lost.
” I therefore wish to use this opportunity to appeal to our judges to facilitate timely resolution of dispute for maritime cases as we all have one role or the other to play in catalysing the Nigerian economy,” the DG said.
He also disclosed that the agency had ratified 40 conventions of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) on maritime safety, maritime labour and marine environment management, domesticating 19 of these conventions either by adoption, regulations or by incorporation under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2007.
According to him, the agency was workingy with the Federal Ministry of Transportation under the auspices of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to ratify an additional six IMO conventions before the end of 2019 to ensure that Nigeria as an IMO member state fulfills its treaty obligation.
He listed the conventions as: The Hong Kong International Convention for safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships 2009; Protocol Relating to Intervention on the high seas in cases of oil pollution casualties (Intervention Protocol) 1973; 1996 Protocol on limitation of liability for maritime claims (LLMC).
Others are; 2002 Protocol relating to the carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea (PAL) 1976; International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F) 1995; and the Protocol of 2005 to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Act against the Safety of Maritime Navigation.
