Section 117: Rules as to relief and maintenance of distressed seamen

(1)
The Minister may make rules with respect to the relief, maintenance and return to a proper return port of masters of ships, seamen and cadets who are shipwrecked or found otherwise in distress at any place beyond the limits of Nigeria in this Act referred to as distressed seamen.
(2)
Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section, rules made pursuant to this section may make provisions:
(a)
for such conditions as are deemed expedient with regard to the relief and maintenance of a distressed seaman and his return to a proper return port; and
(b)
enabling the appropriate officer and in the case of expenses required to be incurred in Nigeria, the Minister or the superintendent to defray any expenses properly incurred by or on behalf of any foreign country or by any person, in making arrangements for the return of a distressed seaman to a proper return port and any expenses so incurred shall, for the purposes of this Part, be deemed to be expenses incurred on behalf of the distressed seaman.
(3)
Save as provided by this Act or any other written law, a master, seaman or cadet shall not be relieved, maintained or sent to a proper return port except in the cases and to the extent and on the conditions provided by rules made or deemed to have been made pursuant to this section.
(4)
All expenses paid under this Act by or on behalf of the Federal Government for the relief of a distressed seaman shall be charged upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund without further appropriation than this section, and all sums received or recovered towards those expenses shall be paid into the Fund.