…Says Coast Guard has to happen in Nigeria
A former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr. Temisan Omatseye has thrown his weight behind the establishment of the Coast Guard in Nigeria.
Omatseye who spoke at an event held in Lagos recently was reacting to the outcome of a debate by the trio of Rosemary Benjamin Bassey, a 25 year old graduate of the University of Calabar, Fatola Kehinde Eunice, a 19 year old student of the Lagos State University and Utibe-Abasi Isaac, a graduate of Merchant Marine Training Academy, Apapa, Lagos on the topic, “Pros and Cons of Establishing National Coast Guard in Nigeria.”
He disclosed 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 realization for a very long time.
While insisting that what exist 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 of NIMASA said that it was time for Nigeria to comply with the International Maritime Organization, IMO’s directive on Coast Guard.
He, however, recalled that NIMASA had a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Air Force as well as the Nigerian Navy which according to him, was basically for the Navy and the Air force to provide services similar to that which the Coast Guard was supposed to provide in Nigeria.
“So, in NIMASA, NIMASA has what is called the Maritime Guard Command, MGC. 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 they (the military) bring them in and NIMASA trains them up to the Coast Guard level, they (NIMASA) send them all over the world to train them but they (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.
“And 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.
“But 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.
“But in the interim, we may have to rely on the Navy to provide us forces to run the Coast Guard while we begin to groom you guys to go onboard irrespective of whatever the case may be.
“So, whether we like it or not, the Coast Guard has to happen, the Minister has said that it is going to happen, we are going to push it but as much as possible, we are going to see that happen”, Omatseye stated.
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