Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) said members of the agency will visit Philippine this October to ascertain first-hand the issues leading to the protests of its NSDP 2013 cadets at the Nigerian embassy.
According to a statement made available to Blueprint and signed by the management of the agency, the visit became necessary after an online videos of NIMASA NSDP 2013 cadets being denied entry to Nigerian embassy in Philippines to address issues of their visa renewal, surfaced.
“We wish to let the public know that we are monitoring the unfortunate development in the Philippines involving NIMASA NSDP 2013 cadets, as seen in a recent online video. And to assure Nigerians that NIMASA has received Ministerial approval for an assessment visit this October to ascertain, first-hand, the issues to fully and finally address them.
“Our Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Engr. Victor Ochei, will lead the fact-finding mission to the Philippines to engage with the school and the cadets. As responsible management, we must deal with this from an informed position, as the matter far predates this administration.
“While we regret the embarrassment this may have caused all concerned; we urge caution and avoidance of any speculative reporting until the official outcome of the on-the-spot evaluation to the Philippines is submitted,” the statement read.
