The Director-General of Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Captain Alex Badeh Jnr, has called on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), to remit the statutorily required percentages of their revenue to the bureau in order to enable it conduct a comprehensive multi- modal accident investigation in the country.
The failure of the agencies – NIMASA in remitting three percent of the gross of the three per cent gross freight from international cargo and NRC’s failure to contribute five percent of ticket sales and cargo charges from its operations, NSIB said is severely impacting on its operational capacity.
Badeh , who disclosed in an interview at the weekend in Lagos while opening the NSIB’s Regional Office, said the non – compliance of the two agencies has brought about financial shortfall, that is not only limiting its operational capabilities but also hindering its growth and effectiveness in safeguarding the lives of Nigerians.
He called on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo and the National Assembly to use their good office to implore the two organisations to assist the NSIB in order to enhance its capabilities.
Badeh said since the unfortunate demolition of the NSIB’s three years ago, the bureau has been trying to serve the transportation sector effectively.
He called on the Federal Government to increase financial support to the bureau, affirming that such support would go a long way in ensuring the safety and security of the nation’s transportation network.
Badeh said : “ When I was appointed last year, I was met with many unfinished tasks at the bureau. Employee’s morale was low, there were teeming requests and competing demands . As a non – revenue generating agency , we have grappled with limited government funding and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
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“ When I approached the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, and presented this project to him , he promptly facilitated the necessary funding from the ministry’s operating budget to make the vision a reality.
‘’ However, our journey is far from complete . We continue to face significant challenges in fulfilling our mandate , notably securing funding to support our operations.”
He went on : “ I call on stakeholders, our government and private sector partners and indeed all Nigerians to rally round NSIB with resilience and steadfast commitment to transportation safety.
“ We remain hopeful that the minister will continue to support our cause in securing the necessary resources for NSIB’s operations.”