Dr Adegboyega Dosunmu, a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has stated that the proposed merger of the Agency with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) would be disastrous for both the maritime industry and the nation's economy.
He also criticized the incorrect classification of NIMASA as a revenue-generating organization, asserting that the Agency's only duty is to regulate shipping activities in Nigeria to meet the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) requirements for safer shipping and cleaner oceans through its various Conventions and Protocols.
He clarified that the Agency is also in charge of increasing domestic shipping capacity in the nation.
The three organizations should be combined into the Nigerian Revenue Services, according to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Advisory Council, to facilitate the collection of all direct and indirect taxes and levies on behalf of the federal government.
Dosunmu stated in a statement that the future of Nigeria's shipping and maritime industry would be at risk if NIMASA, Customs, and FIRS were combined.
He stated: “It is my humble position that the emphasis of the government should be on how to strengthen NIMASA to deliver more on its technical mandates and not merging it with agencies that are not compatible with its philosophy and objectives.
“I can say the proposal, in my view, is like suggesting a merger of the Nigerian Navy with Nigeria Civil Defense because the latter has the responsibility for protecting critical national assets.
“For instance, technically speaking, all ships that call on Nigeria waters carry a minimum of five certificates which include certificate on safety equipment, certificate on radio equipment, and certificate on crewing etc.
“These certificates are carried by all ships calling on ports globally. NIMASA Surveyors, under its port states responsibility must board these ships to ensure compliance with global requirements.
“NIMASA also carries out flag state inspection on all ships before they are registered to determine their fitness for purpose. In this regard, the ships are subjected to pre-registration survey and condition survey”.
