The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has debunked reports that the agency had a maritime security contract with High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said that reports claiming that the acting Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro, confirmed an arrangement with Tompolo when he paid a courtesy visit on the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas on September 29, 2015, were untrue.
According to the agency, the DG was quoted out of context by newsmen who reported that he defended “Tompolo’s maritime security contract” with NIMASA.
In the statement signed by its Deputy Director of Public Relations, Haija Lami Tumaka, the agency said: “But for the fact that the DG was quoted completely out of context, the agency would have ignored these reports.
“It is instructive to note that Mr. Haruna Jauro did not at any point during the said visit, or at any other fora for that matter, defend ‘Tompolo’s maritime security contract’ because there is no such contract in the first place.”
The agency said that the DG only said that: “Global West Vessel Specialists Limited (GWVSL) has an existing Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with NIMASA wherein the vendor’s mandate involves procuring, bunkering and operating platforms on behalf of NIMASA on a Supply, Operate and Transfer (SOT) basis for a 10 year period as approved by the Federal Government in 2012 and it is presently in its third year.”
The statement noted that the ownership of the vessels upon the expiry of the mentioned contract will be reverted to the agency and will be secured by its personnel with the backing of the Nigerian Navy.
“This is not the same thing with a maritime security contract as many publications have alleged,” the statement stressed. “It is therefore mischievous for anyone to allude that the Director General of NIMASA has defended a maritime security contract being executed by Tompolo on behalf of the agency.”