Marine Corps Bill Suffers Setback As Lawmakers, Others Kick

The deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, other lawmakers, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Shippers Council, and several Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have rejected the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Marine Corps.

The House Committee on Navy held a public hearing on the Bill, which seeks to promote maritime security and enhance the safety of Nigeria’s blue economy.

Known as the Bill for an Act to Establish Nigerian Marine Corps to Promote Maritime Security (HB 225), the Bill, sponsored by Hon. Alex Egbona (Cross River), passed a second reading on the floor of the House on Thursday, November 30th, 2023, and was referred to the House Committee on Navy for a public hearing.

Speaking against the Bill on Monday, Agbese, the member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, said the bill proposed to create a new federal body tasked with maritime law enforcement and defence responsibilities traditionally managed by the Nigerian Navy and other existing agencies, such as NIMASA. If allowed to scale through, it would lead to duplication of functions.

Speaking on behalf of 66 other House members, Agbese stressed that it was their duty to critically examine proposed legislation to ensure its alignment with the nation’s best interests and to avoid creating unnecessary or duplicative structures within government agencies.

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“Acting under the mandate to promote efficient governance and resource management, we at this moment call for the total and complete rejection of the bill proposing the establishment of the Nigerian Marine Corps”, he said.

Speaking further, Agbese said, “It is our contention as Members of this legislative body that the creation of this new entity would only result in significant overlap, redundancy, and logistical strain, creating operational inefficiencies and imposing unwarranted financial demands on the government.

“The proposed Act outlines the creation of a maritime enforcement agency charged with enforcing or assisting in the enforcement of federal laws on, under, and over Nigeria’s high seas and other waterways, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and required to maintain a state of readiness to function as a specialised service within the Nigerian Navy in times of war. This proposed body raises multiple operational, economic, and strategic concerns, particularly in jurisdictional conflicts, wartime readiness, legal authority, and environmental management.

“We have thoroughly examined this bill and its objectives and assert that establishing a Nigerian Marine Corps is redundant and counterproductive, given the existing roles, mandates, and capacities of the Nigerian Navy and other maritime agencies.

“We therefore firmly and unequivocally call for the total defeat of the Bill and a recommendation for its immediate withdrawal while highlighting the compelling need to prioritise efficiency, fiscal responsibility, and coherent maritime governance”.

For its part, the Nigeria Police Force described the Bill as ill-advised, stressing that it would not only lead to duplication of duties, which a section of the force is currently undertaking, but it would also result in the proliferation of maritime security outfits, tantamount to a parallel unit of the Nigerian armed forces.

“The proposed Nigerian Marine Corps, while well-intentioned, can potentially create more problems than it solves. A more prudent approach would be strengthening existing agencies and optimising their capabilities to ensure adequate maritime security.

“By streamlining existing structures and fostering inter-agency cooperation, Nigeria can enhance its maritime security capabilities without incurring unnecessary costs or creating additional bureaucratic hurdles”, said SP—Nandom Vongjen, Staff Officer Marine Section, who represented the Police Force.

In their separate submissions, the Chief of Training & Operations of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira; Coordinator, NIMASA, Abuja Zonal Office, Mrs. Moji Jimoh; and Director, Legal Services, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Bala Saleh, underscored the need to strengthen the already existing agencies rather than create new ones that could pose more security threats to the nation.

Members of the Civil Society Organisations who attended the public hearing spoke against the Bill, urging the House to kill it during the third reading and describing it as unnecessary.

While adjourning the hearing, the chairman of the House Committee on Navy, Hon. Yusuf Gadgi, assured Nigerians that due diligence would be done in carrying out legislative actions on the Bill, saying the Committee was an impartial body and, as such, would not take sides in doing its work.