The Nigerian Navy, Members of the National Assembly, and the Coalition of Civil Society Groups were among those who opposed the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard.
Recall that the Senate Committee on Marine Transport had slated November 7 for the public hearing on the Bill, but it was shifted due to the demise of the Chief of Army Staff, General Taoreed Lagbaja.
The bill sponsored by Senator Wasiu Eshilokun (APC- Lagos), has the overriding intent to enact legislation that sought to make the Nigerian Coast Guard a full-fledged military service and a branch of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, to be domiciled under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
At the public hearing held in the National Assembly Library on Thursday, the Nigerian Navy seriously objected to the establishment of the Nigerian Coast Guard, citing duplicity of functions, security threats, incoherent bill crafting, resource constraints, and economic imperatives of nature, among other things.
The Chief of Training and Operations of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, took his time to analyze Nigeria’s maritime security needs and global best practices, with many global examples of consolidated maritime security frameworks.
He said, “The United Kingdom does not have a Coast Guard with military powers similar to those being proposed in this bill. Rather, the Royal Navy is responsible for military defence and maritime security operations, including facial protection,” and this is quoted from the House of Commons briefing paper of 2020.
“On the other hand, the UK Coast Guard is under the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which manages search and rescue and Occupational Safety. The UK Coast Guard is also known as a volunteer. The Coastal Guard is not funded by the government but by charity. The UK example is a symbol where a resourceful Naval Force, with complementary civilian agencies, works to manage maritime safety.
“Then let’s look at the United States of America: the Coast Guard and the Navy. The US Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security, focusing on law Enforcement, Environmental Protection, and search and rescue, while the US Navy under the Department of Defense is primarily an Expeditionary Force projecting power far beyond the shores.
“South Africa has opted to enhance its network capacity instead of establishing the Coast Guard, recognising budget constraints and prioritising the unified labour force for all maritime security and defence. The South African Navy performs military rules and law enforcement functions supported by government agencies, as well as non-military tasks like environmental protection. This approach is similar to what is done in Nigeria and several developing countries. It minimises redundancy and ensures the country’s limited resources are well managed.
“Given Nigeria’s more regional maritime focus and resource constraints, creating a similar structure will lead to redundant functions and stretch limited resources”.
On his part, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, said Nigeria is living on borrowed funds, saying it is improper to take a loan and establish a new agency. Oshiomhole also queried the rationale behind establishing a ministry service and domiciled it under a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy instead of Defence.
“So why do we need the Armed Forces to be controlled by the blue economy and become the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense?” Oshiomhole asked rhetorically.
Also speaking on a powerful opposition to the Bill, a Member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, Rep. Philip Agbese, said Nigeria needed to strengthen the existing agencies and institutions to function to the maximum rather than create irrelevant agencies whose duties are already being performed by others.
Agbese, who is the Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, also expressed disappointment that agencies under the Marine Ministry, which objected to the establishment of Nigeria Marine Corps during a public hearing 2 weeks ago, could hypocritically come up to support the establishment of Nigeria Coast Guard, which shares similar objectives with the Marine Corps Bill.
“I was at the House of Representatives Committee public hearing, Navy in particular, where the other committees were incorporated to dissect the issue of the Marine Corps Bill. I also know the agencies’ positions in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. They categorically submitted at the public hearing that there was no need for further agency to support what the Navy was doing.
“I can see the faces of many people there who are also here. So, whereas they told us a different thing in the House of Representatives, that such an agency is not necessary, here today, they are here to support Bill, and that it is now necessary. What’s the difference between 14 days ago and today that we suddenly need that?” he said.
Agbese referred to state security outfits created by some state Governors a few years ago, including the Amotekun created in Osun state, where the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, was Governor, with the mandate to ending insecurity, only for security challenges to keep increasing; adding that, creating Coast Guard would not in any way end insecurity in the waterways.
Various Speakers, including Dr Emeka Akabogu, Honorary Secretary of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association; Rear Admiral Chris Ezekobe (Rtd.); and Igwe Ude Umanta, who spoke on behalf of a coalition of 10 other Civil Society Groups, all rejected the establishment of the Nigeria Coast Guard, urging the Senate to drop the Bill.
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