67 lawmakers, police, others reject marine corps bill
The deputy spokesman for the House of Representatives, Mr Philip Agbese, other federal lawmakers, the Nigerian Navy, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, among others, on Monday, rejected a bill seeking the establishment of the Nigerian Marine Corps.
They expressed their misgivings during a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Navy.
Tagged “A Bill for an Act to Establish Nigerian Marine Corps to Promote Maritime Security,” the proposed law was sponsored by a Cross River lawmaker, Alex Egbona.
It passed a second reading on the floor of the House on Thursday, November 30, 2023, and was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Navy for further legislative action.
Speaking with journalists, Agbese said the bill seeks 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.
According to Agbese, this would amount to duplication of functions, if allowed to scale through.
Speaking on behalf of 66 other lawmakers, Agbese stressed that as members of the House, it was their duty to critically examine the bill with a view to ensuring its provisions align with national interest.
“Acting under the mandate to promote efficient governance and resource management, we hereby call for the total and complete rejection of the bill proposing the establishment of the Nigerian Marine Corps.
“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.Related News
“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. This proposed body raises multiple operational, economic, and strategic concerns, particularly in the areas of jurisdictional conflicts, wartime readiness, legal authority, and environmental management.
“We have thoroughly examined this bill and its objectives and we assert that the establishment of a Nigerian Marine Corps is both redundant and counterproductive, given the existing roles, mandates, and capacities of the Nigerian Navy and other maritime agencies.”
Also speaking, the Nigeria Police Force described the bill as ill-advised, stressing that it does not only lead to duplication of duties, which a section of the Force is currently handling but added that it would result in the proliferation of maritime security outfits.
“The proposed Nigerian Marine Corps, while well-intentioned, has the potential to create more problems than it solves. A more prudent approach would be to strengthen existing agencies and optimise their capabilities to ensure effective 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,” a Superintendent of Police, Nandom Vongjen, who represented the Nigeria Police Force, said.
In their separate submissions, the Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira; Coordinator, NIMASA, Abuja Zonal Office, Mrs Moji Jimoh, and Director, Legal Services, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Bala Saleh, emphasised the need to strengthen existing agencies, rather than creating new ones which could pose more security threats to the nation.
All the members of the civil society organisations who attended the public hearing, spoke against the bill, describing it as unnecessary.
Those who spoke on behalf of the CSOs include the spokesman for Security Analysts and Research Forum in Africa, Abdullahi Bilal; the Executive Director, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency, Okwa Daniel; the National President, Nigerian Unemployed Youth Association, Daneshi Momoh; and the Convener, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations on Economic Watch, Igwe Ude-Umanta, among others.
While adjourning the hearing, Chairman, House Committee on Navy, Yusuf Gadgi, assured Nigerians that due diligence would be done in carrying out legislative actions on the bills, saying, the committee was an impartial body and as such, would not take sides in doing its work.
