Abuja - Prince John Emeka, the Minister of Water Transportation, has called on francophone and Anglophone African countries to support the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Port State Control (PSC).
Emeka said this in Abuja when the Chairman of the Abuja MOU on PSC, Congo’s Minister of Maritime Transport and Merchant Marine, Mr. Martin Parfait, visited him in his office.
Emeka said Nigeria and Congo still had a challenge if the PSC regime was to be effectively enforced by all the administrations.
“Congo and Nigeria have been championing the cause of Abuja MOU since its inception in October 1999.” the minister said.
Emeka stated that much progress had been made toward achieving the desired objectives but pointed out some weaknesses in its implementation.
Some of these, he said, were mainly due to the lack of necessary infrastructure and the political will to carry out proper Flag State Administration and Port State Control.
“A number of initiatives and assistance are expected from the chairman of this regional organisation in the area of capacity building in Flag State Administration, proper conduct of PSC and information exchange.
“In as much as PSC is working in promoting safer shipping and cleaner oceans, it is only when all the maritime administrations are able to perform up to keel that the purpose of the MOU will be achieved,” Emeka contended.
He, however, said the MOU had not met the expectations of its authors, except in some member-states.
Parfait called for proper training of staff in the Maritime sector. He said his visit was aimed at chart the way forward for the MOU by discussing security of the region.
“Members states will contribute their quota to the establishment of security network in the maritime sector.
“The experts have to work on the implementation of the MOU,” Parfait stressed.
Reports say that the Abuja MOU is aimed at ensuring safer shipping and cleaner oceans.
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