October 1, 2021
By: MOHAMED M.SESAY
As they commemorate the world Maritime Day, the Acting Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA) Sama Ansu Gamanga has yesterday the 30th of September 2021, encouraged Sierra Leoneans to the Seafarers for their tremendous work in the Maritime Industry.
Giving an overview of the event, the Acting Executive Director Sama Ansu Gamanga furthered that during the period of the 50s and 60s, most Sierra Leoneans were used to travel to overseas by sea because there was no airplane available in the country. He added that for a long time the seafaring career is becoming fashionable adding that, getting an employment as a seafarer in the 60s and in the early 70s was like a bag of honor.
He also disclosed that seafarers were actually the logistic machinery of global trade wherein, seafarers were the people that made goods and services available in the country through sea transportation.
Sama Ansu Gamanga continued that the work of a seafarer is very challenging acknowledging that, an average seafarer works eighteen hours a day under bad weather conditions.
“So seafarers are people we really need to celebrate as heroes. I am very delighted that in the wisdom of the Maritime Global Community for carefully selecting the theme “Seafarers: at the core of shipping future, adding that the work of seafarers is characterized by rigorous, dedication and hardship”, he said.
He concluded that the covid-19 pandemic has compounded the challenges faced by seafarers and therefore, encouraged the general public celebrates, remember and honor seafarers because they play colossal stride in guaranteeing the general comfort of a nation through the importation of goods and services.
In his keynote address, the Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation, Rex Bonapha said the demand for Maritime labor is always growing adding that, about 1.2 million people are employed at sea. For some countries, he said the seafarers contribute greatly to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Minister Rex Bonapha acknowledged that Sierra Leone has a history of sending Seafarers to serve at international level. In the late 60s and 70s, he said the country has produced Sierra Leoneans captains and engineers in the Maritime industry totaling in their hundreds.
He disclosed that since 1974, Sierra Leone has not sent any Seafarer to serve on international vessels. He said the contributing factors for such ill representation of Sierra Leonean Seafarers at International level is due to lack of adequate trainings, and the no availability of training institutions to train seafarers coupled with the huge cost of sending individuals over seas .
As a very responsible government through the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, he said they are determined to reverse the backward trend in the maritime industry. He disclosed that SLMA and the Ministry of Transport and Aviation have made colossal efforts in order to domesticate the international convention that guides seafarers. “I am glad to say that as I speak now, the law is in front of Parliament and that very soon Parliament will ratify such law”.
He continued that massive media awareness have been undertaken in order to create awareness on career and job opportunity in the Maritime industry. He also intimated that they are currently informing the public about the eligibility criteria for possible employment in the Maritime industry ranging from academic degree, to school leaving certificate holders and untrained and unqualified interested persons.
“Few months ago, the Ministry Transport and Aviation and SLMA, unveiled the first set of Sierra Leoneans Seafarers by gaining placement onboard of the Sierra Leone flag vessels. Today I am joining the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the Maritime industry in complementing the effort of our men and women of the seafarer industry”, he concluded.