NIMASA averts fire disaster onboard oil tanker in Lagos

What could have been a major disaster at the Lagos anchorage was yesterday averted, as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA’s) swift intervention rescued a burning crude oil tanker, Sea Voyager.

NIMASA confirmed the incident on its social media platform, adding that the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (RMRCC), at Kirikiri, mobilised fire-fighters from other government agencies including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), to put out the fire.

“NIMASA Fast Intervention Vessel was on standby for emergency evacuation. The fire was completely put out, and all crew on board were successfully evacuated by the Nigerian Navy.

“All coordination was made by NIMASA from the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, MRCC, Kirikiri Lagos Nigeria,” it stated.

Sea Voyager, currently sailing under a Nigerian flag was previously known as, Al Wahda, and operated by Sea Transport Group. The oil products tanker was built at Korean Daedong shipyard in 1992, data provided by VesselsValue shows.

In January last year, the 6,700 dwt Sea Voyager was involved in another incident when it ran aground off Warri, in oil-rich Niger Delta.

The vessel, with gross tonnage of 4176 tonnes, The Guardian gathered was coming from Onne, Rivers State en-route to Lagos.

Meanwhile, the Agency has decried the misinformation in some online platforms that there is an ongoing recruitment exercise in the agency.

Head, Corporate Communications, NIMASA, Isichei Osamgbi, warned the unsuspecting public not to patronise the scammers, saying that the Agency has not embarked on any recruitment exercise.

“It is important to state that the Agency has not embarked on any recruitment exercise at the moment; and not associated with any of the adverts being brandished on various social media platforms to defraud members of the public.

“The most common tactics of the scam involved the use of social media and/or text messages, e-mails, as well as letters inviting job seekers for job interviews at different locations across the country claiming to be consultants to NIMASA.

“While the Agency appeals to the public to ignore such advertisement from these unscrupulous elements, the management assures the public that the relevant authorities have been contacted to track their activities and deal with them decisively.

“NIMASA has not commissioned or contracted any individual or group to engage in recruitment of anybody on behalf of the Agency. At the appropriate time, NIMASA would advertise for available vacancies for qualified Nigerians to apply,” he stated.