The Minister of Transport and former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday urged maritime agencies in Nigeria to ensure their operations are in line with the 48-hour international cargo clearance policy.
Mr Amaechi made the statement in Lagos State while on an assessment tour of facilities in some parastatals attached to the Transport Ministry.
The Minister also called for the implementation of reforms in all units of maritime agencies.
At the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Resource Centre, Mr Amaechi, made an on-the-spot assessment of facilities and expressed displeasure with the state of disrepair of Equipment at NIMASA office.
“If NIMASA has the responsibility for security, protection, including search and rescue, then we are yet to begin.
“With the kind of money I hear they have spent, they should have at least gotten equipment for search and rescue,” the Minister said, decrying the state of the equipment he saw.
The Minister said that he had asked the Director of Finance to provide him with information about all the contracts awarded from the inception of NIMASA.
“Who are the contractors and how much has been paid and what is the level of completion of the contracts?” the former Rivers State Governor questioned.
He, however, said that his request should not be seen as a probe.
It was his first visit to Lagos since he became the Minister of Transport in October.
