The Mission to Seafarers (MTS) said it would partner with the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) to protect its members who are victimized on board ships.
The partnership, MTS said, would also release seafarers who may be arrested and victimized in Nigeria for offenses or crimes committed by their shipowners.
The Chairman of Management Committee, MTS, Lagos, Adebayo Babatunde Sarumi, made this known during the 2022 Annual Sea Sunday Service held at “Our Saviors Church”, TBS, Lagos.
Sarumi said the partnership was part of an increased effort to show appreciation to seafarers for their invaluable contributions to global trade.
The former chief executive of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) also said that the Lagos MTS would significantly improve the Apapa Seafarers Centre.
He said MTS’s partnership with NMLA to provide legal representation has become imperative now that increasing global statistics show many ships being arrested and seafarers being increasingly detained for crimes or misdemeanors by owners. of ships.
Sarumi highlighted the need for greater partnership between stakeholders for a vibrant MTS Center equipped with modern facilities and the necessary staff to care for seafarers.
He noted that “the sailor is a worker that the world has not yet fully understood.
“They are workers who transport anything that is imported, which the citizens of any nation use.
“When we were younger, the Seafarers’ Center in Apapa was bustling with activity.
“When seafarers arrive in the ports of Lagos, we bring them to this Apapa center to take care of them.
“After spending 6 to 10 weeks on the waters, when sailors arrive on the shores of a nation that is not their home, it is only normal that they have a place where they are taken care of psychologically , spiritually and physically.
“There is no better place to go than a facility set up by a Christian organization, which is what MTS stands for,” Sarumi said.
He encouraged the church and other well-meaning Nigerians to work with MTS Lagos to impress upon seafarers who come to the country’s shores that the work they do is truly appreciated.
