L-R: Chief Agassi Peter ,Co chairperson MASPAN/AMANO event,MASPAN/AMANO President , Mr.Emmanuel Maiguwa & MARAN President, Mr Godfrey Bivbere.
United States of America (USA) and French embassies have confirmed their attendance for the upcoming maritime summit on Drug Smuggling and Human Trafficking organized by the Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN) and the Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron (AMANO).
Chairman of the AMANO/ MASPAN Planning Committee, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, revealed this during a press conference held at the secretariat of the Maritime Reporter’s Association of Nigeria (MARAN) on Friday.
The event scheduled to be held on Thursday, August 22nd, 2024, at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, at 10 am will be chaired by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Gboyega Oyetola.
Maiguwa stated that AMANO and MASPAN are becoming concerned with the rising incidents of large quantities of drugs found on ships arriving at Nigerian ports, as well as sustained cases of stowaways found on ships departing the nation’s ports.
“Ships have been detained for several months while their crew were placed on trial and forced to remain without seeing their families for several years in cases of drug smuggling. At the end of this conference, we hope that stakeholders will arrive at workable solutions and mandate a working group to ensure the actualization of the resolutions reached.
“On the part of Human Trafficking, cases of stowaways, especially in Lagos ports, have continued to cause delays to vessels when they are found before vessel departure. Cases, where discoveries were not made before departure have continued to burden shipowners because of the very complex administrative protocols involved in handling stowaways on ships,” he noted.
R-L:
Chief Agassi Peter – co chairman MASPAN/AMANO,
Ms. Frances Inoma- MASPAN/AMANO secretary,M MARAN president, Godfrey Bivbere, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa – MASPAN/AMANO President
Ms. Gloria theophilus- EA Maspan/Amano President
Mr. Oamien Ailemen – MASPAN/AMANO Publicity PRO
Ms. Helen Mba – Admin. Secretary ,MASPAN/AMANO .
Maiguwa posited that organizing the event became pertinent having considered the disruption drug smuggling and human trafficking activities can pose to shipping operations via increased cost and the traumatic experience on seafarers.
“The goal is to align with critical agencies in making sure that Drug and Human Smuggling/Trafficking in the maritime domain are reduced; if not eradicated, perpetrators are penalized in a way innocent parties are not made to pay the price, and the industry is not deprived of its growth potential.
“We have equally secured the support of the key agency responsible for narcotics in Nigeria, the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which has committed to fully participating in the panel discussion. The Embassies of the United States and France, as well as the International and local shipping companies, have also shown keen interest and are set to attend the event, Maiguwa affirmed.
While stressing that attendance to the event is strictly by invitation and registration, the organizers encouraged stakeholders with interest to contact the Planning Committee through the numbers on the event flyer to book the few remaining seats.
