These are certainly not the best of times for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency , NIMASA and its Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr Jibril ABBA, considering the damning allegations made against him by an NSDP Vendor, , Messrs SPRINGDALE ACADEMY OF MARITIME EDUCATION & TRAINING TRUST(SAMET), India. Should NIMASA fail to act promptly, indications are rife that two legal actions ; one in UK and another in Nigeria for breach of contract might be filed against the Agency in a matter of days. Already , letters from two law chambers in UK and Nigeria have served a notice of a possible legal action for a breach of contract. In one of such letters of “Compaint and Demand” from Kunle Adegoke & co, a Lagos based firm of Legal Practioners , dated July 19, obtained exclusively by Shipping World Magazine, addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and Director General of NIMASA, they accused the embattled Executive Director of Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr ABBA of renegotiating the terms of the MoU in an “unconventional manner”, contrary to provisions of the said MoU and with an alleged “intention to achieve personal gratification “. The petition which was signed by Kunle Adegoke SAN, said ” our client reasonably believes that the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services (ML&CS) at your Agency is hell bent on renegotiating the terms of the MoU”.
In another letter from the law firm of AI, London , titled ” Springdale Academy of Maritime Education and Training: Formal Complaint Regarding the Conduct of ED ML&CS NIMASA: Harrassment,Bullying and Contractual Discrepancies ” addressed to the Director General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, expressed concern ” regarding the conduct of the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services . The issues include persistent harassment and bullying along with significant delays and discrepancies in contractual negotiations…”.
AI’s three prayers are that
(i) An immediate investigation by a neutral body or officials of NIMASA or the Ministry into the conduct of the ED ML&CS with appropriate disciplinary measures if the allegations are sustained,
(ii) the prompt Settlement of the overdue invoices as per the original contract terms :
(iii) an assurance that all future interactions and negotiations will adhere strictly to the agreed terms to avoid any further disruptions …”. The UK firm explained that if the NIMASA helmsman did not take immediate steps ” the abrupt and unsolicited actions and observations by the ED ML&CS are now creating significant disruptions to our clients students and their studies . Our client sees the continuity of their education jeopardized. In an interview with Shipping World in his office on Wednesday, Mr ABBA denied ever bullying or seeking financial inducement from the vendors. ” If he has any evidence, let him come forward with such proof”, Abba said. He insisted that NIMASA had not breached any aspect of the MoU. He said as the ED overseeing the NSDP programs, he said he some discrepancies in the contract and promptly raised a red flag in his minute to the Agency’s Director General. Section 3.1 of the MoU says: ” NIMASA shall pay the invoice within 30 days of the date of valid invoice in advance to the service providers bank account barring any delays caused by unavoidable financial regulatory processes “. However, Shipping World investigations reveal that the invoice may have been submitted to NIMASA over six months ago. A further enquiry by this magazine revealed no timeline has been set for the payment as corroborated by Mr ABBA who said he was not in a position to make such a confirmation.