Indigenous Operators Seek Review of Vessels' Age Limit
By Francis Ugwoke
The policy of age limit on vessels to be used under cabotage shipp-ing regime as contained in the guidelines has been condemned by the Nigerian Shiping Companies Association.
Secretary-General of the association, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, told newsmen that the 15-year age limit was a deliberate design by some interest groups to frustrate the chances of indigenous operators in participating maximally in the coastal trade.
Iheanacho argued that there is no international convention which prescribes age limit on vessels participating in international trade.
"There are laws that guide ships globally, and none prescribes age limit", he said, adding that he was yet to understand why such a policy should be introduced in the country's local shipping service.
What is important, he said, is for shipping operators to ensure regular maintenance of their vessels.
International law, according to him, provides that a ship visits a shipyard every two years, while engines and other sensitive areas are opened regularly for maintenance.
He argued that once a ship could conform to rules of the flag administration, she could remain for 100 years in operation.
The NSCA had recently appealed to the Federal Government to consider assisting Nigerian firms that had performed over the years to retonnage their old vessels.
The association explained that such policy exists in Europe as part of the shipping development effort of various countries.
Noting that the policy comes under "Scrap and Build Scheme", the Association's scribe, Iheanacho, said that the objective is basically to motivate ship owners to scrap old tonnages (ships) for more modern tonnages.
According to him, such policy can be introduced in the country with the discretion of the National Maritime Authority (NMA) to use the Ship Building and Ship Acquisition Fund (SASBF) to retonnage old ships.
He explained that such policy should be for the benefit of firms that have experience, which in his view can be handled with the administrative discretion of the maritime regulatory authority.
Capt Iheanacho added that such policy will go a long was in assisting indigenous firms which have older vessels to scrap them for newer vessels.
However, to ensure that indigenous firms take advantage of the opportunities offered by the cabotage shipping regime, the NSCA scribe told operators to go for Protection and Indeminity Club membership, adding that this was the only way for Nigerian firms to be fully prepared for cabotage shipping regime.
Iheanacho gave the advice following speculations that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and other multinational oil firms were demanding for P & I Club membership before giving Nigerian firms jobs.
Iheanacho confirmed that he has secured P & I Club of London membership for his tanker vessels, a fleet of four.
The fourth vessel, MT Genesis Adventurer, a LPG carrier of 9,000 metric tonnes (mt) deadweight was acquired recently as part of the company's effort to participate in cabotage maximally.
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