The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, is
currently enmeshed in a scandalous N148billion contract for the rental
of security boats known as Fast Security Intervention Vessel, FSIV,
pointblanknews.com can authoritatively report.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that since 2017, Dakuku Peterside, the
Director General of NIMASA, has been awarding the FSIV contract monthly
at the sum of $1million (N360million).
According to documents seen by pointblanknews.com, NIMASA under
Peterside has been hiring the FSIV from different companies, namely
Peace Marine and Energy Limited (PMEL), Fairway Offshore Limited, XPO
Marine Services Limited and Thamson Energy Services Limited.
This is even as the same contract for the security boat had already been
awarded to an alleged Israeli company, HLSI Security Systems and
Technologies Limited at the sum of $195million (N70billion).
Peterside is a crony of former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi.
Amaechi and HSLI systems formerly known as LR Group have a long-standing
business relationship.
In 2017, Amaechi at an event to mark the World Maritime Day, unveiled an
extensive deal at an estimated value of $195 million with HSLI Systems
and Technology Ltd partly owned by Mitrelli Group and part of Mitrelli’s
security branch.
The Chairman of HLSI Systems & Technology LTD, Nigeria, is Nasiru Haladu
Danu. He is a known Buhari front and close friend of Amaechi.
While series of documents available to Pointblanknews.com shows that
duplicity in the award of contracts, another dated 18/03/2019 with
subject “STATUS UPDATE ON MODULAR FLOATING DOCK (MfD NIMASA)” and signed
by the Head, Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standards (MSSS), Capt.
Sunday Umoren, revealed the controversial payment of a $30,000 daily as
wharfage charges on the floating dock recently acquired by the agency
which has been abandoned since it was acquired in 2018.
A leaked document last month showed a controversial award of a contract
worth N248,850,000 (Two hundred and forty Eight Million to one Thames
Hudson Consulting and Contracting Limited for the dry docking and repair
of one of NIMASA boats, MV Ofure.
Sources told pointblanknews.com that Thames Hudson Consulting and
Contracting Limited, a brokerage company, is not known to own any ship
repair facility either in or outside Nigeria.