NIMASA Raises Alarm over Vessels  From High Risk Countries

By Foster Obi

Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has notified stakeholders about 13 vessels from five countries heavily affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic arriving Nigeria. Eight of the vessels are expected to berth in Apapa, Lagos; four in Bonny, Rivers State; and one in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

A statement  signed by Philip Kyanet , Head, Corporate Communications said  Information about the vessels, expected to arrive the three Nigerian ports between June 23 and July 17, was received through the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, and Intelligence System (C4i) Centre under the NIMASA Deep Blue Project, also called the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure.

“Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said the need to ensure stakeholders adhered strictly to the guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria informed the decision to red-flag the vessels.

“We are counting on the continued cooperation of frontline government agencies and private sector operators in this regard as we jointly wage the war against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jamoh stated.

“The Director-General said the advisory was to further alert all agencies of government and private sector operators at the ports of expected arrival of the vessels and to demand the highest level of professionalism from all concerned officers in keeping with the Agency’s earlier advice on the handling of such vessels. He added that operators at the ports should ensure all safety measures and precautions in the best interest of the maritime community and the country were fully applied.

“NIMASA had earlier given an advisory through a marine notice on the operational procedures for the ingress and egress of vessels arriving from such countries. Officers of agencies concerned were requested to immediately report any situation or circumstance that might compromise best practices in handling the arrival and discharge of these vessels and others that might be advised in the future,” the statement said.

Below is the list of vessels and the details of their expected voyage to Nigerian ports.

LIST OF VESSELS ARRIVING NIGERIA FROM HIGH RISK COVID-19 PANDEMIC COUNTRIES

S/N  NAME OF VESSEL      PREVIOUS PORT OF CALL     DESTINATION          ETA

1. EBONY RAY United States                  Apapa-Lagos           23/06/2020
2. NORD SUPREME United Kingdom, Immingham    Apapa-Lagos       25/06/2020
3. GASLOG WARSAW Spain, Ferrol       Bonny, Nigeria        26/06/2020
4. DESERT PEACE United States, Houston     Apapa-Lagos       26/06/202
5. SHANGHAI EAGLE     Spain, Garrucha                       Apapa-Lagos       25/06/2020
6. KATRINA THERESA,    Spain Algeciras Bay                   Apapa, Lagos      25/06/2020
7. HARMONI Spain, Escomberas                     Bonny, Nigeria    27/06/2020
8. DESERT HOPE Brazil Santos                               Apapa-Lagos          01/07/2020
9. STENA CLEAR SKY India, Dahej                                  Bonny, Nigeria              04/07/2020
10. MUSKY United States                                  Port Harcourt, Nigeria          07/07/2020
11. VECTIS OSPREY     United States, Houston                        Apapa-Lagos                    11/07/2020
12. GRANDE ISLAN United States, Houston Apapa-Lago                          11/07/2020
13. LNG BONNY II India, Dahej                                 Bonny Nigeria                       17/07/2020

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