Shipowners accuse FG of encouraging sea piracy

The indigenous shipowners have blamed the Federal Government for

the high level of sea piracy currently pervading in the country’s territorial waters, saying its neglect of maritime cadets after training has given an added boost to the problem.

President, Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Captain Niyi Labinjo, levelled this allegation in a chat with news men in Lagos last week, who observed that the cadets were always left helpless after their training.

He said that out of frustration, the young cadets were lured to team up with dubious characters, who would take advantage of their seafaring skills, to join piracy and sea robbery.

“Cadets of MAN, Oron, who graduated six to 15 years ago, have no jobs. So what do you want to do with the new people you are training? You are going to make them hijackers, sea pirates. That is why the issue of sea piracy cases is very high because, the boys we trained have no jobs,” Labinjo said.

MAN, Oron is Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron, Akwa Ibom State.