FG, Navy state positions at Maritime Bills hearing, oppose 12% NIMASA revenue to varsity, say maritime security ‘ambiguous’
Federal Government, through the Ministry of Transportation has opposed the proposed allocation of the 12 per cent of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) revenue to the Maritime University, Okerenkoko in Delta State.
Also, the Nigerian Navy says saddling NIMASA with maritime security will create ambiguity that could result in distortion and duplication of functions with the Service statutory role.
The ministry and the Navy made their positions known at the public hearing on the Maritime Bills organised by the House of Representatives Committee supervising NIMASA.
The bills are; Merchant Shipping Act (Repeal & Enactment) Bill 2021 (HB.1602) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2021 (HB.1476).
Others are, Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) (Amendment) Bill 2020 (HB.77 8), the Maritime Development Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill (202?) (HB.531) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 (HB. 1471)
Director of Legal Services, Pius Oteh, who spoke on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Transportation said the ministry was not comfortable with the proposal in the NIMASA Act amendment Bill, 2021 which provides that not less than 12% of the agency revenue be given to Maritime University Okerenkoko.
Oteh said the proposal failed to recognize that as a public institution regulated by the Nigerian Universities Commission and Federal Ministry of Education, the University will equally be entitled to funds publicly appropriated by the National Assembly on a yearly basis.
He said: “We think this proposal is excessive and it does not adequately take cognisance of the diverse responsibilities of NIMASA in this challenging fiscal environment. We don’t agree with that proposal. But we are supporting the Bills generally”, Oteh said.
Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Navy, Solomon Agada, in his presentation said security should be expunged from the functions of NIMASA in the 2021 amendment Bill to let the agency focus on maritime safety.
Agada said: “The Nigerian Navy over time observed that NIMASA has huge provisions in its act to expand its mandate beyond Maritime Administration and Safety to the realm of Maritime security. This conflicting trend also exists in the draft Bill 2021. It’s against this background that the Nigerian Navy makes these observations: “The word security was used without conceptual clarification. It is essential that the word security replaced with administration in the preamble of the Bill and subsequent sections”.
Executive Director for Cabotage at NIMASA, Victor Ochei, said the agency has adopted the position and presentation of the Transportation Ministry on the proposed legislations.
“Speaking to the three bills being considered today, I want to start first by aligning ourselves completely with the position of our parent Ministry because we work closely. It is in this line that I stand to adopt any submission made by the Federal Ministry of Transportation with regards to these Bills,” he said.
Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, while declaring the hearing open, cautioned against the over regulation of the maritime sector to allow it free and perform optimally.
Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Lynda Ikpeazu said the hearing was to deliberate on critical maritime sector bills referred to the Committee, by the House-in-plenary.
“Not only are we focused on making the maritime sector a key alternative source of revenue and economic growth to our dwindling oil resources, we are also poised to develop a prosperous blue economy for our nation, akin to similar successes in other maritime nations around the world,” she said.
