DG/CEO, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA and the Abade-Toru Manga Community Development Initiative have resolved to adopt an Alternative Dispute Resolution ADR mechanism to resolve a matter brought against the Agency before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.

Recall that the Abade-Toru Manga Community Development Initiative had petitioned the committee over alleged failure of the Agency to establish educational and skills acquisition projects in the coastal communities as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility CSR.

However, in a twist of events, both parties agreed to seek peaceful settlement through Alternative Dispute Resolution when the matter was called up last week.

Chairman of the committee, Mike Etaba, who spoke during the occasion, disclosed that the NIMASA team led by Director, Administration and Human Resources, Isichei Osamgbi, had reached out to the Committee earlier seeking to resolve the matter through ADR, stressing that the move is well appreciated and encouraged by the Public Petitions Committee.

“NIMASA team met me before the sitting and we have agreed that this matter be handled through ADR for proper implementation. If there is anything we encourage it is ADR. And if parties agree with ADR they will go into it”, he said.

Etaba further noted that the committee was delighted over the harmonious agreement between both parties, stressing ‘there is nothing like harmony’.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Abade-Toru Manga Community Development Initiative, George Wilcox Noah, who also spoke at the event, said he was satisfied with the resolution, adding that the harmonious agreement goes to show that the community is not at any loggerheads with NIMASA.

“I am very much satisfied with the resolution since it goes in line with the plea from the agency, just to show that we are not in any loggerhead with the agency. We are not antagonising the agency” he added.

The Community leader assured that going forward there would be peaceful coexistence between the community and NIMASA, and that sea piracy that affects both the Niger Delta region and the Gulf of Guinea would be mitigated.