The United States of America (USA) and France Embassies have confirmed their attendance for the drug smuggling and human trafficking summit organised by Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN) and the Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron (AMANO).
The Chairman, AMANO/ MASPAN Planning Committee, Mr Emmanuel Maiguwa said this at a press conference held at the secretariat of Maritime Reporter’s Association of Nigeria (MARAN) on Friday, in Lagos.
Maiguwa added that the event to be chaired by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, was scheduled to hold on Aug. 22 at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos by 10.00 a.m.
He said that AMANO and MASPAN had become 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 the conference, we hope that stakeholders will arrive at workable solutions and mandate a working group to ensure the actualisation of the resolutions reached,” he said.
He pointed out that cases of human trafficking and stowaways, especially in Lagos ports, had continued to cause delays to vessels when they are found before vessel departure.
He added that cases where discoveries were not made before departure had continued to burden shipowners because of the very complex administrative protocols involved in handling stowaways on ships.
Maiguwa posited that organising 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.It will also ensure that perpetrators are penalised in a way innocent parties are not made to pay the price, and the industry is not deprived of its growth potentials. "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, the International and local shipping companies have also shown keen interest and are set to attend the event,” he said.
