Thirty officers have graduated from the training in various parts of the globe and are marked to join the team of competent personnel manning assets under the maritime security scheme.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Lagos, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, reiterated that assets deployed under the Deep Blue Project, recently launched by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, are manned by proficient officers from the Nigerian security services.
The Director General, who was represented by the Agency’s Executive Director, Operations, Mr. Shehu Ahmed, said that the graduation of the officers marked a significant addition to the team of competent personnel manning assets under the maritime security scheme.
Jamoh explained that the officers trained would crew the Special Mission Vessels, which is the main maritime component of the project also called the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure.
“This event is remarkable. It guarantees us competent manpower required to man the Special Mission Vessels. It is a further indication of our commitment to bequeathing a crime free maritime domain to Nigerians and the global maritime community,” the statement by NIMASA on Tuesday in Lagos quoted Dr. Jamoh as saying.
The Director General disclosed that “early in the year and in line with a Presidential directive, we deployed the Special Mission Vessels and the Fast Interceptor Boats to the Lagos Port Secure Anchorage Area. But the event of today takes us further to the full deployment of the two Special Mission Vessels with fully trained and certified crew”.
According to him, the Crew of the Special Mission Vessels have concluded localized training and terrain familiarization courses after their initial technical based training abroad.
In his remarks, the Coordinator of the Deep Blue Project, and Director, Planning, Research and Data Management Services Department (PRDMSD), of NIMASA, Mr. Anthony Ogadi, said that the crew had nine foreign and 10 local trainings on various platforms of the Deep Blue Project under the supervision of the project contractor (HLSI).
Ogadi said that some local trainings for the operation of other assets under the maritime security scheme, including the Special Mission Aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and armoured personnel carriers were simultaneously on-going at Ikeja and Ojo in Lagos, and Elele in Rivers State.
Speaking on behalf of the crew, Captain of DB Lagos, Captain Uche Aneke, and that of DB Abuja, Captain Mohammed, thanked NIMASA for facilitating the training.
They assured the Agency that they would carry out their duties with a high sense of proficiency and professionalism.
Certificates were presented to the officers at the ceremony, which also had in attendance NIMASA’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Chudi Ofodile, and Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Victor Ochei.
The Deep Blue Project is an initiative of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Transportation and Federal Ministry of Defence, which is being implemented by NIMASA, with personnel drawn from the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, and other security agencies.
GIK/APA