This is my iPhone 5S unboxing (enclosure / housing / backplate). In this unboxing video we get a closer look at what will be the new Gold iPhone 5S. Which color will you pick?
New iPad Mini 2 "Retina" Parts Leaked? (First Look + Comparis
In this video we get a closer look at what might become the iPad Mini Retina edition. We also compare the dimensions of the new iPad Mini against the dimensions of the next gen "iPad 5" that was leaked in yesterday's video.
iPhone 6 Case Leak Hands-on (vs iPhone 5s, Nexus 5, Note 3) (+playlist)
This is a quick look at what looks like the first 3rd party case for the upcoming iPhone 6 - 4.7-inch (may also come in 5.5-inch variant). This video also compares the speculative iPhone 6 4.7-inch against some popular devices that are already on the market including the iPhone 5s, Nexus 5 and Galaxy Note 3.
Filipino seafarers slam incompetence of Marina
MANILA, Philippines—More than a thousand seafarers, mostly belonging to the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS), on Wednesday condemned the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) for mismanaging the maritime industry with its gross incompetence and utter lack of concern to the welfare of seafaring Filipinos.
The UFS-led seafarers gathered in front of Marina offices in Manila on Wednesday morning to dramatize their protest over the agency’s incompetence and mismanagement.
Mock up models of caskets painted in black to symbolize the “death” of the maritime industry were also brought in by the ralliers.
UFS president and rally organizer Engr. Nelson Ramirez said Wednesday they could no longer take sitting down the incompetence and weak leadership in Marina, which put their livelihood and profession at grave risk.
Ramirez said foremost of these is the move of Marina to replace the official Seafarers Identification and Record Books (SIRB) document being given to legitimate seafarers with a piece of paper called “SIR Sheet” or Seafarers Identification Record Sheet.
He said this is the first time in the entire world and only in the Philippines that a government maritime agency issued a piece of paper instead of the “book.”
The Seaman’s Book, Ramirez said, is vital and essential to a seaman when boarding a vessel for work.
Marina, which has been giving out the SIRB for years, suddenly finds itself in short supply of such important document and decided to issue the SIR Sheet instead.
Ramirez said seafarers are already carrying their “Lenten crosses” by joining daily long lines just to secure the SIRB document only to find out at the end of the line that the document has been replaced with a sheet of paper that would embarrass them before foreign port and immigration authorities.
“We seamen are worried that when we reach other countries to board the vessels we have found jobs in, we will not be allowed to leave the airport to go to the port where our ship is,” Ramirez explained.
Marina office in Manila. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
He added: “The authorities in the foreign country will find our MARINA pieces of paper strange and unfamiliar. Then, if we can get to our ships, the captains may not allow us to embark. This is the first time in the whole world that seamen carry sheets of paper instead of the passport looking Seaman’s Book. Only in the Philippines.”
Seafarers usually start queuing before midnight, long before the agency opens at 8 a.m. the next day.
Ramirez said seafarers also have to secure a Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) from Marina, which also takes a long time to obtain.
He said the unjustified shortage of the regular SIRB has resulted to the proliferation of fake Seaman’s Book and other seafaring certificates that are now being sold to unsuspecting victims.
Ramirez said Marina’s lack of foresight to resuscitate the dying local shipping industry and the agency’s lack of commitment on maritime safety have likewise contributed to the sorry state of the industry.
“Dahil sa unang tatlong buwan pa lang ni Dr. Max Mejia ay nagkaroon na kaagad ng dalawang major maritime disaster at nagkaroon na naman ng banggaaan ngayong bago sa Cavite. Idagdag pa ang promotion ng kapatid ni Atty. Bañas na ginawang head ng maritime safety na wala namang alam sa barko dahil driver lang dati (Because of the first three months of Dr. Max Mejia there have been two major maritime disaster already and recently, there’s a new collision in Cavite. Add to that the promotion of Atty. Bañas’ sibling who was made head of maritime safety but has no knowledge in shipping because he used to be a driver),” Ramirez said.
Ramirez has earlier filed a case against the Marina official for appointing relatives and close friends to juicy posts in the agency.
The UFS president said Marina’s weak leadership has compromised the livelihood of at least 80,000 seafarers currently serving in EU-flagged vessels with the imminent cancellation of their SCTW certificates as a result of the country’s failure to pass the second audit of EU’s European Maritime Safety Agency (Emsa) last October.
As a direct result of the Emsa failure, education and training certificates issued by the Philippine government to Filipino seafarers would no longer be honored by EU shipowners and regulators.
Ramirez said the future looks dimmer should Marina assume the maritime licensure function from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) pursuant to the new law recently passed assigning Marina as the single maritime agency.
“Ngayon pa lang, tagilid na ang industriya maritima at lalo ng lulubog sapagkat kukunin pa ng Marina ang licensure examination ng PRC, pati na ang CoC at CoE. Minadali ng Marina ang pagpatay ng ating industriya (As early as now, the maritime industry is on the edge and it will go down because Marina will get the licensure examination of the PRC, including the CoC and CoE. Marina is pushing for the early death of our industry),” he said.
R
The UFS-led seafarers gathered in front of Marina offices in Manila on Wednesday morning to dramatize their protest over the agency’s incompetence and mismanagement.
Mock up models of caskets painted in black to symbolize the “death” of the maritime industry were also brought in by the ralliers.
UFS president and rally organizer Engr. Nelson Ramirez said Wednesday they could no longer take sitting down the incompetence and weak leadership in Marina, which put their livelihood and profession at grave risk.
“The Filipino seafarers are disgusted and worried. Disgusted over the lack of foresight of Marina to confront problems and provide solutions and worried that if such incompetence continues, we will end up with no jobs,” Ramirez said during the protest rally.
Ramirez said foremost of these is the move of Marina to replace the official Seafarers Identification and Record Books (SIRB) document being given to legitimate seafarers with a piece of paper called “SIR Sheet” or Seafarers Identification Record Sheet.
He said this is the first time in the entire world and only in the Philippines that a government maritime agency issued a piece of paper instead of the “book.”
The Seaman’s Book, Ramirez said, is vital and essential to a seaman when boarding a vessel for work.
Marina, which has been giving out the SIRB for years, suddenly finds itself in short supply of such important document and decided to issue the SIR Sheet instead.
Ramirez said seafarers are already carrying their “Lenten crosses” by joining daily long lines just to secure the SIRB document only to find out at the end of the line that the document has been replaced with a sheet of paper that would embarrass them before foreign port and immigration authorities.
“We seamen are worried that when we reach other countries to board the vessels we have found jobs in, we will not be allowed to leave the airport to go to the port where our ship is,” Ramirez explained.
Marina office in Manila. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
He added: “The authorities in the foreign country will find our MARINA pieces of paper strange and unfamiliar. Then, if we can get to our ships, the captains may not allow us to embark. This is the first time in the whole world that seamen carry sheets of paper instead of the passport looking Seaman’s Book. Only in the Philippines.”
Seafarers usually start queuing before midnight, long before the agency opens at 8 a.m. the next day.
Ramirez said seafarers also have to secure a Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) from Marina, which also takes a long time to obtain.
He said the unjustified shortage of the regular SIRB has resulted to the proliferation of fake Seaman’s Book and other seafaring certificates that are now being sold to unsuspecting victims.
Ramirez said Marina’s lack of foresight to resuscitate the dying local shipping industry and the agency’s lack of commitment on maritime safety have likewise contributed to the sorry state of the industry.
“Dahil sa unang tatlong buwan pa lang ni Dr. Max Mejia ay nagkaroon na kaagad ng dalawang major maritime disaster at nagkaroon na naman ng banggaaan ngayong bago sa Cavite. Idagdag pa ang promotion ng kapatid ni Atty. Bañas na ginawang head ng maritime safety na wala namang alam sa barko dahil driver lang dati (Because of the first three months of Dr. Max Mejia there have been two major maritime disaster already and recently, there’s a new collision in Cavite. Add to that the promotion of Atty. Bañas’ sibling who was made head of maritime safety but has no knowledge in shipping because he used to be a driver),” Ramirez said.
Ramirez has earlier filed a case against the Marina official for appointing relatives and close friends to juicy posts in the agency.
The UFS president said Marina’s weak leadership has compromised the livelihood of at least 80,000 seafarers currently serving in EU-flagged vessels with the imminent cancellation of their SCTW certificates as a result of the country’s failure to pass the second audit of EU’s European Maritime Safety Agency (Emsa) last October.
As a direct result of the Emsa failure, education and training certificates issued by the Philippine government to Filipino seafarers would no longer be honored by EU shipowners and regulators.
Ramirez said the future looks dimmer should Marina assume the maritime licensure function from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) pursuant to the new law recently passed assigning Marina as the single maritime agency.
“Ngayon pa lang, tagilid na ang industriya maritima at lalo ng lulubog sapagkat kukunin pa ng Marina ang licensure examination ng PRC, pati na ang CoC at CoE. Minadali ng Marina ang pagpatay ng ating industriya (As early as now, the maritime industry is on the edge and it will go down because Marina will get the licensure examination of the PRC, including the CoC and CoE. Marina is pushing for the early death of our industry),” he said.
R
Deferral of requirement for security awareness certification
Following the International Maritime Organisation's recommendations in Circular STCW7/Circ 21, the Cyprus Department of Merchant Shipping has announced that where a seafarer on board a Cyprus-flagged ship has not received a security awareness certification or training on designated security duties,(1) the department will accept compliance with Section 13 of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code. This is a temporary concession that expires on January 1 2015.
No contract extending beyond July 1 2015 may be offered to a seafarer for service on board a Cyprus-flagged ship if the seafarer does not hold the relevant certifications.
For further information on this topic please contact Vassilis Psyrras at Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC by telephone (+357 25 110 000), fax (+357 25 110 001) or email (vassilis.psyrras@neocleous.com). The Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC website can be accessed at www.neocleous.com.
Endnotes
(1) In accordance with Regulation VI/6 of the Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention and Section A-VI/6, Paragraphs 4 and 6, of the STCW Code.
Bangladesh ferry carrying hundreds sinks
A heavily-laden ferry capsized and sank in central Bangladesh on Thursday after being caught in a storm, leaving at least nine people dead and hundreds more missing, police and officials said.
“We are receiving confusing figures on how many passengers were on board when it sank, but the number could range from 200 to 350,” district government administrator Saiful Hasan told AFP.
“Nine bodies have been recovered so far,” he said of the accident on the river Meghna in Munshiganj district, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.
Local police chief Ferdous Ahmed also confirmed the recovery of the nine bodies, including at least two of whom were women.
The vessel was travelling to the southern district of Shariatpur from Dhaka when it encountered problems and sank in the mid-afternoon, according to the police.
“The ferry is completely under water. We are now trying to locate it,” Ahmed said, adding that a salvage vessel and fire service divers were headed to the spot from the capital.
Hundreds of distraught relatives gathered on the banks of the river as the bodies were laid in lines in order to be identified, Ahmed said.
The local online newspaper Banglanews24.com quoted a survivor of the accident, Abdur Razzaq, as saying that the boat was hit by the storm suddenly and sank within minutes.
Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed with more than 230 rivers.
Experts blame poorly maintained vessels, flaws in design and overcrowding for most of the tragedies.
Storms known locally as Kalboishakhi often hit Bangladesh during the early summer months in the lead-up to the monsoon, which generally begins in the first week of June.
Boats are the main form of travel in much of Bangladesh’s remote rural areas, especially in the southern and northeastern regions.
Some 150 people were killed in the same district in March 2012 after a overcrowded ferry carrying about 200 passengers sank after being hit by an oil barge in the dead of night.
In 2011, 32 people were killed after a passenger vessel sank in the same river in the same district after colliding with a cargo ship.
At least 85 people drowned in 2009 when an overloaded triple-decker ferry capsized off Bhola Island in the country’s south.
Naval officials have said more than 95 percent of Bangladesh’s hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized boats do not meet minimum safety regulations.
“We are receiving confusing figures on how many passengers were on board when it sank, but the number could range from 200 to 350,” district government administrator Saiful Hasan told AFP.
“Nine bodies have been recovered so far,” he said of the accident on the river Meghna in Munshiganj district, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.
Local police chief Ferdous Ahmed also confirmed the recovery of the nine bodies, including at least two of whom were women.
The vessel was travelling to the southern district of Shariatpur from Dhaka when it encountered problems and sank in the mid-afternoon, according to the police.
“The ferry is completely under water. We are now trying to locate it,” Ahmed said, adding that a salvage vessel and fire service divers were headed to the spot from the capital.
Hundreds of distraught relatives gathered on the banks of the river as the bodies were laid in lines in order to be identified, Ahmed said.
The local online newspaper Banglanews24.com quoted a survivor of the accident, Abdur Razzaq, as saying that the boat was hit by the storm suddenly and sank within minutes.
Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed with more than 230 rivers.
Experts blame poorly maintained vessels, flaws in design and overcrowding for most of the tragedies.
Storms known locally as Kalboishakhi often hit Bangladesh during the early summer months in the lead-up to the monsoon, which generally begins in the first week of June.
Boats are the main form of travel in much of Bangladesh’s remote rural areas, especially in the southern and northeastern regions.
Some 150 people were killed in the same district in March 2012 after a overcrowded ferry carrying about 200 passengers sank after being hit by an oil barge in the dead of night.
In 2011, 32 people were killed after a passenger vessel sank in the same river in the same district after colliding with a cargo ship.
At least 85 people drowned in 2009 when an overloaded triple-decker ferry capsized off Bhola Island in the country’s south.
Naval officials have said more than 95 percent of Bangladesh’s hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized boats do not meet minimum safety regulations.
A
heavily-laden ferry capsized and sank in central Bangladesh on Thursday
after being caught in a storm, leaving at least nine people dead and
hundreds more missing, police and officials said.
“We are receiving confusing figures on how many passengers were on board when it sank, but the number could range from 200 to 350,” district government administrator Saiful Hasan told AFP.
“Nine bodies have been recovered so far,” he said of the accident on the river Meghna in Munshiganj district, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.
Local police chief Ferdous Ahmed also confirmed the recovery of the nine bodies, including at least two of whom were women.
The vessel was travelling to the southern district of Shariatpur from Dhaka when it encountered problems and sank in the mid-afternoon, according to the police.
“The ferry is completely under water. We are now trying to locate it,” Ahmed said, adding that a salvage vessel and fire service divers were headed to the spot from the capital.
Hundreds of distraught relatives gathered on the banks of the river as the bodies were laid in lines in order to be identified, Ahmed said.
The local online newspaper Banglanews24.com quoted a survivor of the accident, Abdur Razzaq, as saying that the boat was hit by the storm suddenly and sank within minutes.
Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed with more than 230 rivers.
Experts blame poorly maintained vessels, flaws in design and overcrowding for most of the tragedies.
Storms known locally as Kalboishakhi often hit Bangladesh during the early summer months in the lead-up to the monsoon, which generally begins in the first week of June.
Boats are the main form of travel in much of Bangladesh’s remote rural areas, especially in the southern and northeastern regions.
Some 150 people were killed in the same district in March 2012 after a overcrowded ferry carrying about 200 passengers sank after being hit by an oil barge in the dead of night.
In 2011, 32 people were killed after a passenger vessel sank in the same river in the same district after colliding with a cargo ship.
At least 85 people drowned in 2009 when an overloaded triple-decker ferry capsized off Bhola Island in the country’s south.
Naval officials have said more than 95 percent of Bangladesh’s hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized boats do not meet minimum safety regulations.
“We are receiving confusing figures on how many passengers were on board when it sank, but the number could range from 200 to 350,” district government administrator Saiful Hasan told AFP.
“Nine bodies have been recovered so far,” he said of the accident on the river Meghna in Munshiganj district, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.
Local police chief Ferdous Ahmed also confirmed the recovery of the nine bodies, including at least two of whom were women.
The vessel was travelling to the southern district of Shariatpur from Dhaka when it encountered problems and sank in the mid-afternoon, according to the police.
“The ferry is completely under water. We are now trying to locate it,” Ahmed said, adding that a salvage vessel and fire service divers were headed to the spot from the capital.
Hundreds of distraught relatives gathered on the banks of the river as the bodies were laid in lines in order to be identified, Ahmed said.
The local online newspaper Banglanews24.com quoted a survivor of the accident, Abdur Razzaq, as saying that the boat was hit by the storm suddenly and sank within minutes.
Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed with more than 230 rivers.
Experts blame poorly maintained vessels, flaws in design and overcrowding for most of the tragedies.
Storms known locally as Kalboishakhi often hit Bangladesh during the early summer months in the lead-up to the monsoon, which generally begins in the first week of June.
Boats are the main form of travel in much of Bangladesh’s remote rural areas, especially in the southern and northeastern regions.
Some 150 people were killed in the same district in March 2012 after a overcrowded ferry carrying about 200 passengers sank after being hit by an oil barge in the dead of night.
In 2011, 32 people were killed after a passenger vessel sank in the same river in the same district after colliding with a cargo ship.
At least 85 people drowned in 2009 when an overloaded triple-decker ferry capsized off Bhola Island in the country’s south.
Naval officials have said more than 95 percent of Bangladesh’s hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized boats do not meet minimum safety regulations.
Bi- Courtney to upgrade operational equipment at MMA2
Chief Executive Officer of Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Mr. Christophe Pennick yesterday said that the company will invest over N500 million on the upgrade of operational equipment in 2014.
Speaking to newsmen at the Domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA2, Mr. Pennick noted that the N500 million investment would cover the replacement of escalators, elevators and cooling system at the terminal building.
According to him, the firm has concluded plans to replace the existing check-in counters noting that the check-in counters will be increase from 31 to 45 at the departure hall to enhance capacity for new airlines.
Mr. Pennick further stressed that Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited have decided to upgrade facilities at MMA2, to give airlines and passengers who utilise the terminal value for their money.
He said that one of the major challenge facing the company was power as it has spent huge sums of money in the purchase of diesel to power its generators in order to keep the terminal functional.
Mr. Pennick said over 99,000 litres of diesel was utilised monthly on running generators, which he said is the source of power supply at the terminal.
Meanwhile, the Chief Operating Officer of Bi- Courtney Aviation Services, Adebisi Awoniyi said the upgrade of operational facilities at the terminal was necessary to pursue maintenance culture, which has become topical in Nigeria.
She said: “We are changing all 31 check- in counters to 45 counter, like you have in other airports across the globe, fitted with three bar coded system as well as baggage reconciliation system”
“Our plan is to become the best terminal that is IcAo compliant in West Africa. Airlines are very happy over the upgrade of facilities, to raise the bar in air travel. In 2014 alone we plan to invest over five hundred million naira to upgrade our terminal facilities. In a difficult business environment , like ours, it is not easy to run an airport terminal”
“We are also upgrading the conveyor belts, we are working with the handling agents to improve the baggage handling system as well as improve the turn around time”
On power supply, She said the MMA 2 has never experienced power outage, because the terminal runs on generators.
She said the PHCN , has limited capacity to supply power to the terminal stressing that PHCN should expand its power supply capacity to enable it deliver qualitative services to the passengers.
Speaking to newsmen at the Domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA2, Mr. Pennick noted that the N500 million investment would cover the replacement of escalators, elevators and cooling system at the terminal building.
According to him, the firm has concluded plans to replace the existing check-in counters noting that the check-in counters will be increase from 31 to 45 at the departure hall to enhance capacity for new airlines.
Mr. Pennick further stressed that Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited have decided to upgrade facilities at MMA2, to give airlines and passengers who utilise the terminal value for their money.
He said that one of the major challenge facing the company was power as it has spent huge sums of money in the purchase of diesel to power its generators in order to keep the terminal functional.
Mr. Pennick said over 99,000 litres of diesel was utilised monthly on running generators, which he said is the source of power supply at the terminal.
Meanwhile, the Chief Operating Officer of Bi- Courtney Aviation Services, Adebisi Awoniyi said the upgrade of operational facilities at the terminal was necessary to pursue maintenance culture, which has become topical in Nigeria.
She said: “We are changing all 31 check- in counters to 45 counter, like you have in other airports across the globe, fitted with three bar coded system as well as baggage reconciliation system”
“Our plan is to become the best terminal that is IcAo compliant in West Africa. Airlines are very happy over the upgrade of facilities, to raise the bar in air travel. In 2014 alone we plan to invest over five hundred million naira to upgrade our terminal facilities. In a difficult business environment , like ours, it is not easy to run an airport terminal”
“We are also upgrading the conveyor belts, we are working with the handling agents to improve the baggage handling system as well as improve the turn around time”
On power supply, She said the MMA 2 has never experienced power outage, because the terminal runs on generators.
She said the PHCN , has limited capacity to supply power to the terminal stressing that PHCN should expand its power supply capacity to enable it deliver qualitative services to the passengers.
NIMASA’s seafarers’ e-verification will provide Nigerians employment
Stakeholders in the maritime industry have said that the introduction of seafarers’ electronic verification by the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, will improve employment opportunity for the nation’s seafarers.
The stakeholders pointed out that the agency’s seafarers’ e-verification scheme would also enable the international community that wants to employ any Nigerian seafarer to simply log on to the portal to ascertain the authenticity of such seafarer’s claim.
They charged NIMASA management to ensure that all seafarers whose contacts are in the portal are well trained and have the necessary competence to do the job for which they are certified.
National Secretary of Nigeria Ship-owners Association, NISA, Capt, Niyi Labinjo, described the innovation by the NIMASA management as a step in the right direction.
Labinjo noted that the new scheme, which he has personally tested, will eliminate time wasted by operators going to the agency’s office personally for verification.
According to Labinjo, “Is a good thing, it is very good. I like what I saw, I have tested it and I am happy with it. This means you do not have to go to them before you can check a particular seafarer. It is a good thing and it is long over-due. It is also important to note that the international maritime community can also take advantage of it.”
He further noted that the portal should help curb the recruitment of fake seafarers both in the country and outside the country.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Maritime Media Limited, Asu Beks, praised the new scheme, saying that it has opened the door for Nigerian seafarers in the international scene.
According to him, “I think what the Director General and management of NIMASA have done is to bring sanity to whole seafarers verification process in the country. I think it is a step in the right direction but again, I think this may have been prompted by the President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Tony Nted.
Recall that the Akopolokemi had said that the initiative is part of the agency’s effort to ensure that operations of NIMASA are in line with acceptable international best practice. The DG had explained that the online verification system is more effective and much more reliable.
In his word: “Our commitment to ensure professionalism in the Nigeria maritime sector is unflinching and our goal is to attain maximum efficiency in the process of certificate verification, which can now be done in any part of the world at any time.”
The stakeholders pointed out that the agency’s seafarers’ e-verification scheme would also enable the international community that wants to employ any Nigerian seafarer to simply log on to the portal to ascertain the authenticity of such seafarer’s claim.
They charged NIMASA management to ensure that all seafarers whose contacts are in the portal are well trained and have the necessary competence to do the job for which they are certified.
National Secretary of Nigeria Ship-owners Association, NISA, Capt, Niyi Labinjo, described the innovation by the NIMASA management as a step in the right direction.
Labinjo noted that the new scheme, which he has personally tested, will eliminate time wasted by operators going to the agency’s office personally for verification.
According to Labinjo, “Is a good thing, it is very good. I like what I saw, I have tested it and I am happy with it. This means you do not have to go to them before you can check a particular seafarer. It is a good thing and it is long over-due. It is also important to note that the international maritime community can also take advantage of it.”
He further noted that the portal should help curb the recruitment of fake seafarers both in the country and outside the country.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Maritime Media Limited, Asu Beks, praised the new scheme, saying that it has opened the door for Nigerian seafarers in the international scene.
According to him, “I think what the Director General and management of NIMASA have done is to bring sanity to whole seafarers verification process in the country. I think it is a step in the right direction but again, I think this may have been prompted by the President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Tony Nted.
Recall that the Akopolokemi had said that the initiative is part of the agency’s effort to ensure that operations of NIMASA are in line with acceptable international best practice. The DG had explained that the online verification system is more effective and much more reliable.
In his word: “Our commitment to ensure professionalism in the Nigeria maritime sector is unflinching and our goal is to attain maximum efficiency in the process of certificate verification, which can now be done in any part of the world at any time.”
Aerofex hover bike new on sale in 2017
Aero-X seats 2 and flies up to 3 metres above the ground
A futuristic hovercraft that lets you zip smoothly over rough terrain by flying up to three metres above the ground could be yours in just three years, its maker says.
- 'Hover bike' prototype thrills sci-fi fans
- Watch a video of the hover bike prototype
The first flight of the commercial model is expected in 2016 and the first deliveries a year later, Aerofex said in a recent news release.
According to the company's website, the Aero-X can reach a top speed of 72 kilometres per hour.
Up to two people can sit on board, and including the passengers, the bike can carry up to 140 kilograms.
- Human-powered hover bike wins coveted $250K prize
Aerofex says the hover bike is designed to bridge the gap between light aircraft and all-terrain vehicles, making it an affordable alternative to planes and helicopters for surveying, search and rescue, border patrol and disaster relief. The company adds that the hover bike is also intuitive and easy to drive.
"You can learn to operate it safely in just a weekend of training," the website says. "It responds to your movements just as a motorcycle would."
Like hovercraft already on the market, the Aero-X uses fans to force a cushion of air under it and lift it up. Other existing hovercraft barely skim above flat surfaces such as water. The Aero-X flies much higher because unlike other hovercraft, it relies on the surface below for lift only, not stability, Aerofex says.
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