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In compliance with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s directive, a maritime stakeholder has urged the Federal Government to establish a coast guard that will secure the maritime domain.
It was learnt that the move would curb over $1.5 billion loss annually by ships and ports due to poor connectivity and activities of sea robbers.
According to a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Barrister Temisan Omatseye, IMO had directed that each country must provide a coast guard, coast guard was separate from the Navy.
Omatseye said at a forum in Lagos on a topic, “Pros and Cons of Establishing National Coast Guard in Nigeria,” that he was very passionate about the establishment of coast guard in Nigeria, adding that it was something he had devoted his time fighting for its realisation for a very long time.
He noted that what existed in Nigeria as at today was not coast guard but Maritime Guard Command (MGC), which is a semblance of coast guard being funded by NIMASA.
The former director general said that NIMASA had a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Navy to provide services similar to that which the coast guard was supposed to provide in Nigeria. Omatseye stressed:
“So, NIMASA has what is called the Maritime Guard Command. The MGC itself is a platoon and a platoon is made up of 100 forces. So, they come into NIMASA but the unfortunate thing is that the military bring them in and NIMASA trains them up to the coast guard level.
NIMASA send them all over the world to train them but the military take them back again and then send another lot as if we have become a training school in NIMASA. “It is provided for by the IMO that each country is supposed to provide a Coast Guard. Coast Guard is separate from the military which is the Navy.
The Navy is supposed to protect the sovereignty and boundaries of Nigeria against any form of military attack whereas the Coast Guard is purely for commercial shipping.
I have continued to make this statement that the boarding of any commercial vessel by the Nigerian Navy is actually an act of war. “They are not allowed to board any vessel.
Even if you go to the United States where they also have the United States Navy and the Coast Guard, when the US Navy is deciding to board a commercial vessel, it drops the US Navy flag and raise up the Coast Guard flag and the Coast Guard Captain takes over the deck of the vessel and ensure that it is run.
“That is the international best practice but unfortunately, our Nigerian Navy believes we are trying to take their job from them and they are fighting us tooth and nail to make sure that the Coast Guard does not come.
As a matter of fact, it’s so terrible now that the government is going in that direction.”
However, Omatseye said that in the interim, the country could still rely on the Navy to provide forces to run the coast guard, while grooming those who will take over.
Also, Omatseye explained that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola had said that the establishment of a coast guard would be realised as possible. He said:
“What I am saying is that it is absolutely imperative, now what should be realized, I do appreciate you guys of the Merchant Navy thinking that they want to be on the Coast Guard but with all due respect, if we are going to achieve what we want to achieve with Coast Guard, there has to be a compromise and that compromise quite simply means that the Coast Guard will remain commercial in nature.”
