An Assistant Director at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has been accused of embezzling £1.07 million intended for scholarships, leaving 170 Nigerian students stranded abroad.
The funds, meant for the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), were transferred in 2013 by Irene Macfoy from NIMASA’s UK account to an offshore account linked to Swiss Bulk Carriers S.A.
The students, who began their courses in 2012, were promised financial support to complete their studies and gain practical experience at sea.
However, by 2015, their stipends were significantly reduced, with some students in the Philippines receiving as little as $50 a month.
This reduction was communicated via a memo signed by Crispin Barnuevo, an administrative assistant in the Vice President for Maritime Affairs International Students Programme office.
The memo read, “Mrs Macfoy has informed us of the decision taken by the NIMASA management to adjust/lower the monthly allowance of the students to one hundred US dollars ($100) each per month commencing January 2015. In effect, each student’s monthly allowance will be lowered from the existing rate of $250 to $100 per month, effective the same date”.
Many of the students, who were studying in the UK, India, the Philippines, and Romania, have not yet completed the required Sea Time phase on merchant ships or obtained necessary certifications due to the lack of funding.
Despite some students paying for their own practical training and certifications, NIMASA has not reimbursed these costs. The agency has yet to respond to inquiries about the situation.
One of the NSDP beneficiaries told FIJ on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, saying, “I was part of phase one, which is the academic phase in the classroom for two, three or four years depending on the curriculum.
“This is the phase where the cadet undertakes their theoretical and laboratory work.
“The second phase was the Seatime phase during which cadets would be onboard merchant ships of required capacity for at least 12 months. During this phase, cadets should receive wages as per the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) standard. Unfortunately, many cadets have not undergone this phase yet.
“Upon completion of the Seatime phase of the NSDP scheme, cadets are expected to immediately proceed to acquire their CoC and other Mandatory STCW Certificates such as Basic Training, Medical Emergency First Aid (MEFA), Advanced Fire Fighting (AFF), Survival Craft and Rescue Boat other than Fast Rescue Boat (SCRB), Basic Training for Oil, Chemical and Liquified Gas Tanker Cargo Operations, Advanced Training for Oil, Chemical and Liquified Gas Tanker Cargo Operations, Engine or Bridge Resources Management, Human Element and Leadership Management (HELMS), ARPA/RADAR, GMDSS-GOC, ECDIS, ERS, Marine High Voltage.
“Some cadets took the initiative and paid to secure their own Seatime, and some went as far as spending millions of Naira to procure their CoC. According to the letter of Undertaking signed by CoC Self Sponsored Cadets, NIMASA was to reimburse the sum of $6,339.00 to such cadets. As Nigeria will have it, NIMASA has not paid them till now.
“The cost of acquiring the said CoC in the Philippines is not more than $12,000 per cadet. Yet, the agency neglected our needs and kicked off a new NSPD Batch of over 280 cadets in India. These fresh cadets are presently in Centurion University, India,” he added.
FIJ
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