[size=14pt]Nigeria, Ghana may clash over stolen ship[/size]


Written by Dele Aderibigbe, Lagos
Monday, 10 October 2011

There’s a looming diplomatic row between the maritime regulatory authorities of Ghana and Nigeria as a marine tanker vessel, MT Kemepade, declared missing in Nigeria has been found in Ghana, slated for urgent scrapping.

Already, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has reportedly sent a protest letter to the Presidency, through the Federal Ministry of Transport, expressing its displeasure that a tanker vessel which was declared missing in the Lagos anchorage on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 had been found in a ship yard at Tema Habour in Ghana with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number wipped off, contrary to laid down maritime norms.

International rules to which both Nigeria and Ghana subscribe to, stipulate that any vessel slated for scrapping must submit legitimate documents from its owners, past and present as well as the last certificating authority, all of which must be contacted for authentication, before any ship could be scrapped. A rule which NIMASA insisted Ghana, deliberately or othrwise, refused to follow.

The Nigerian Tribune was told that when the MT Kemepade was reported missing by its owner, it also had one sailor on board at the time.

It was further gathered that in line with its statutory responsibility to ensure the safety and security of ships on Nigerian waters, the management of NIMASA had sent signals to all neighbouring shipping and maritime regulatory authorities alerting them of the development and requesting for assistance, in case the vessel was sighted in their areas.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/29414-nigeria-ghana-may-clash-over-stolen-ship

[size=14pt]Missing Nigerian vessel found in Ghanaian shipyard[/size]
on OCTOBER 10, 2011 · in NEWS

By Godwin Oritse

A motor tanker vessel, MT KEMEPADE, reported missing from the Lagos anchorage on September 28 has been found in a shipyard at Tema Harbour in Ghana with the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, number removed.

The vessel, which was reported missing by the owner, had one sailor on board at the time of the incident.

The management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, had requested ships in the area to report sighting of the ship.

In addition to deploying Automatic Identification Tracking System, AIS, the agency collaborated with neigbouring countries such as Togo, Liberia and Benin through their Maritime Rescue Coordi-nation Centres, MRCCs, to enhance the search operation.

Five days later, the vessel was found in the shipyard at Tema Harbour in Ghana with IMO number erased.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/10/missing-nigerian-vessel-found-in-ghanaian-shipyard-2/