Stakeholders in the Maritime industry have called for the rebuilding of the Mission to Seafarers in Lagos with a view to reducing the sufferings of seafarers while sailing around the world to the global economy.
Speaking at the 2021 annual Sea Sunday Service held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, the ArchBishop of the Lagos Diocese, Dr. Humphrey Olumakaiye said that the Mission to Seafarers in Lagos is not fully positioned to attend to the needs of seafarers that calls at the nation’s ports in their thousand annually.
He appealed to maritime stakeholders’ support to rebuild the heritage of the Mission to Seafarers in Lagos, and provide services to them when they called at the Nigerian particularly the Lagos ports.
Similarly, the Chairman of the management Committee of the Mission to Seafarers, Chief Adebayo Sarumi said that if the seafarers stop work today, the world will come to an end.
Sarumi, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA also said that seafarers work under extremely difficult situations and that is why they are being celebrated to let the whole know the hazard of their work.
Similarly, the Assistant General Manager, Maritime and Operation, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Capt. Jerome Angyuwne said that seafarers do their work in isolation of the world adding that he was very touched with the Mission to Seafarers support to the sailors.
He said; “With the issue of security all over the world, the seafarers are suffering, in isolation, getting attacked, getting kidnapped and getting killed. So when a body like Mission to Seafarers looking after the welfare of seafarers, they have a lot of responsibilities.
Chairman of the Seaport Terminal Association of Nigeria, STOAN, Dr. Vicky Hastrup in her comment said that the Mission to Seafarers is an important mission to recognize the job of seafaring. Hastrup also said that seafarers discharge their duties to keep the world’s economy going.