Maritime
Crisis hits Global West Vessesls as late Capt Itima’s family drags brother, others to court
A crisis of lack of confidence is rocking Global West Specialist Vessels as the family of the late Captain Romeo Itima has dragged the Managing Director, Mr Winfred Itima, (Younger brother to Capt Romeo) to court over the ownership of the company. It will be recalled that late Captain Itima met his untimely and mysterious death on the 7th of August 2012 in Escravos, where he was reported to have fallen-off a boat and drowned. His younger brother, Capt Winifred Itima is being sued alongside other directors of the company; namely: former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Maritime; Mr. Oluwagbenga Leke Oyewole and Mr.Olabisi Idowu Afolabi.
The suit was filed by the wife of Captain Romeo Itima, Helen and two of her children; Zion Itima and Kevin Itima. The suit; FHC/CS/1123/2017 was filed before Justice Babs Kuemi of the Federal High Court, Lagos and first hearing took place on May 16, 2018 and was adjourned to June 26, 2018. In the suit, the plaintiffs averred that Late Romeo Itima established Global West Vessel Specialists Limited in Nigeria in 2009 to combat piracy and associated crimes that were plaguing Nigeria’s territorial waters, adding that, it was a way he intended to contribute his quota in salvaging Nigeria’s maritime security domain by ploughing his wealth of experience as a master mariner with a rich shipping experience from the United States of America.
In their statement of claim, the family alleged that their father’s sibling and present Managing Director of GWVSL, Captain Winfred Itima took-over their late father’s companies, GWVSL and Molecular Power Systems Limited shortly after his death and has refused to give account of the finances of the two companies to the family till date. They claimed that the actions of their uncle since the demise of their father were a clear breach of filial affection, trust, care and confidence their late father reposed in him. According to Capt Romeo’s family, Captain Winfred Itima who was not a director at the time late Romeo Itima died made himself the Managing Director of GWVSL without due consultations and approvals.
The family claimed that since Captain Winfred Itima took over the affairs of their father’s companies, he has conducted himself with utmost disregard and prejudice of the interest of their father, his late brother. As part of his alleged administrative and financial neglect the family claimed that Captain Winfred Itima unlawfully allotted to himself 6,000,000 ordinary shares of Molecular Power Systems Limited without recourse to the pioneer shareholders including their mother; Mrs Helen Itima who is an administrator of their late father’s estate. The family further claimed that Capt Winfred reduced late Romeo Itima’s shares of 2,000,000 to 300,000 and made himself the highest shareholder in the company. This according to the family is a deliberate attempt to deprive them of their rights, interests, and entitlements.
According to the court papers, since their father’s death, Captain Winfred Itima has left them in the dark over the conduct and management of the companies and terminated the employment of Zion Itima, the eldest son of late Romeo Itima’s from GWVSL. He allegedly went ahead to appoint his ally, Mr. Olabisi Afolabi a director in the company. The family further claimed that, Captain Winfred Itima took away loads of documents which were in possession of their late father immediately after his death and prevented the family from having access to them. According to them, the late Romeo Itima through one of his companies, GWVSL executed many contracts running into several millions of naira with the Nigeria Maritime and Safety Administration Agency (NIMASA), most of which were not paid for before his untimely death and has remained unaccounted for till date.
They are asking the court to compel Captain Winfred Itima and GWVSL to produce all contracts entered by late Romeo Itima with NIMASA before his sudden death and payments made by NIMASA till date, including the list of vessels he acquired which are now form part of the fleet owned by the company. The family therefore pleaded with the court to order a general meeting of all pioneer stakeholders to re-allot shares and appoint legitimate directors as well as declare unlawful the restructuring and allotting of shares to late Romeo Itima after his death, void.
They asked the court to issue an order directing a complete audit of GWVSL by reputable independent auditors from 7th August 2012 till date including its dealings with Molecular Power Systems Ltd. They further begged the court to compel Captain Winfred Itima to give a detailed account of all the assets including vessels purchased under the Private Public Partnership Agreement between their father and NIMASA as well as sale of vessels and other properties so far.
The family asked the court to order the removal of their Captain Winfred Itima from the GWVSL Board of Directors and immediate forfeiture of the shares he and his ally Olabisi Afolabi unlawfully acquired as directors.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has expressed confidence that the Maritime Labour E-Platform would boost the sector’s competitiveness as it hosted a workshop to sensitize users of the portal through practical demonstrations and interactive sessions. Held in Lagos, the workshop practicalized the process of registering, verifying and issuing identity cards to seafarers and dockworkers via the NIMASA portal (@nimasa.gov.ng). Practical support measures, including training, cybersecurity and planning a phased rollout to ensure smooth adoption, were also discussed.
Speaking at the event, the NIMASA Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Jibril Abba stressed the importance of the digital platform to achieving global competitiveness, stating that “our digital transformation is underway. This year we launched the Maritime Labour E-Platform, building on our 2022 dockworkers registration success.
It is a modern, integrated system for registering and verifying seafarers, dockworkers, employers, and other stakeholders.” Represented by the Director, Maritime Labour Services Department, Mr. Ibrahim Umar Sidi, the Executive Director further noted that “by centralizing registration and issuing secure biometric ID cards, it cuts paperwork, speeds up processing, and gives us reliable real-time data. This helps us meet our obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention and boosts Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global Blue Economy.”
He also emphasized that the actualization of the digital platform was in line with the Agency’s statutory obligations, stating that, “This initiative directly fulfils our mandate under Section 27(1)(a) of the NIMASA Act 2007, which charges us with the duty to document and maintain a register of every maritime worker and operator. It also aligns with our obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, often called the “Seafarers’ Bill of Rights for promoting fair working conditions, health protections, and social security.
In its efforts to build a smarter, more transparent, and efficient maritime sector, the Federal Government launched the Maritime Labour E-Platform, during an event in June marking the 2025 Day of the Seafarer in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The platform, which is a digital solution designed to revolutionize the governance of maritime labour in Nigeria, was described by the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola at the time as “a transformative tool for labour administration”.
Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola has noted that effective Port State Control (PSC) is one of the most potent tools of ensuring global safety and maintenance of environmental standards in shipping.
Dr. Mobereola who said this at a 5-day Regional Train the Trainer Workshop on Port State Control (PSC) for Member States of the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the support of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), further emphasized that the quality of the professionals who implement PSC determines its overall success. Represented by the Executive Director, Operations, Engr. Fatai Taiye Adeyemi, the DG described the workshop as a reflection of Africa’s shared commitment to safer, cleaner, and more efficient shipping.
“Your presence here demonstrates our collective resolve to strengthen efficient maritime governance, improve safety standards, and enhance environmental protection across West and Central Africa,” he said. The DG commended the IMO, the Abuja MoU Secretariat, and all technical partners for their continued support towards capacity-building, regional cooperation, and the promotion of maritime safety in Africa.
Delivering a goodwill message, the representative of the IMO, Captain Ahmed Sewelam, reaffirmed the Organization’s unwavering commitment to supporting Member States through its technical cooperation programme to strengthen effective and harmonized Port State Control regimes globally. “Effective regional cooperation and harmonized PSC practices are essential to eliminate substandard shipping and promote consistency across the region,” Captain Sewelam said. He said that the workshop provides a unique platform for delegates to strengthen their collective capacity as Port States, while discussing key elements such as inspection procedures, reporting, and strategies for improved performance noting that “together, we can strengthen Port State Control implementation and advance maritime safety and sustainability in the region”.
On his part, the Secretary General of the Abuja MoU, Captain Sunday Umoren, reiterated that capacity building remains a top priority of the Abuja MoU. He noted that effective Flag State control directly influences the quality of Port State Control operations, emphasizing the importance of strong national systems. “We must continue to build capacity, strengthen cooperation, and share experiences to ensure that our region maintains high standards of maritime safety and compliance,” he said.
The Train-the-Trainer Workshop on Port State Control under the Abuja MoU represents another milestone in NIMASA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen maritime safety, promote environmental protection, and consolidate Nigeria’s leadership role in advancing regional maritime development. The workshop, which is being held in Lagos, has brought together delegates from 22 countries across West and Central Africa to deepen capacity, harmonize standards, and strengthen maritime safety oversight across the region.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) announced on Monday that about 20 ships laden with food items, petroleum products, and other goods are expected to arrive at Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports in Lagos. In its shipping position for Monday, the authority disclosed that the ships will arrive in Lagos from November 10 to 12.
According to the NPA, out of the 20 expected ships, four contain crude oil, four contain petrol, three others are to arrive with aviation fuel, while the remaining nine ships are to arrive with diesel, gas oil, and different products.
The NPA also hinted that three ships had arrived at the ports and were waiting to berth with general cargo and bulk urea. Meanwhile, it says that 11 ships are currently at the ports discharging general cargoes, bulk wheat, bulk sugar, containers, and bulk gas. NAN
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