N148billion Patrol Boats Hire Contract Scandal Rocks NIMASA

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.