The establishment of the Nigeria Maritime Security Agency has been confronted with ugly and dirty opposition. Some of the opposition is downright mischievous, misdirecting, misinforming and lacking the basic understanding of issues involved in maritime security such as pipelines protection in the waters and on land.

The Maritime Security Agency bill sought to prevent crime on land and the nation’s waters. If the police and civil defence corps are not opposing the bill, what is the cry of the Navy and NIMASA? Are they both of the opinion that there should not be new entrants in the nation’s waterways? Are they being scientific, professional or patriotic? Is their fear borne out of any ulterior agenda yet to be known to Nigerians?

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) are all working in the aviation industry. While NCAA and NAMA are concerned with issues of policy implementation scientifically and professionally, the FAAN is doing the physical security on ground.
On the other hand, NIMASA and PICOMSS are supposed to work as NCAA and NAMA in the maritime sector while the Nigeria Maritime Security Agency operates in the waters as FAAN in the airports.

The Navy’s area of operation is the Blow-out-preventeur (B.O.P) to the international waters. The Nigerian Maritime Workers Union representing NPA, ship owners and seafarers union are best referred to as busybodies in the matter of the establishment of the Nigeria Maritime Security Agency. They are to be ignored.
On the 19th of January this year, it was announced that the presidency has withdrawn the bill from the National Assembly (Senate to be specific). Since the birth of Nigeria in 1914 to the best of my knowledge, the nation has not been blessed by a president and national security adviser who hail from the riverine area as we presently have.
The total neglect of Nigeria riverine areas from Lagos to Calabar, River Niger and Benue to Gongola River, Kaduna River and all others are better imagined than experienced.

For example, Nigeria as a whole has no good breakwater. The colonial breakwater in Lagos, that is Victoria Island, should by now be higher than it is presently. It should have been extended far beyond Apese in Victoria Island. In West Africa, the best example of modern breakwater is in Lome, Togo. NIMASA and authorities of maritime transportation should go there, see and learn. Is it not surprising and shameful that the entrance to Delta Ports have no breakwater? Many towns and villages in Delta have either been washed out of the map or eroded into desolation. For example, Forcados, Madagho, Ugborodo are all gone.

The Chevron Oil facility that is providing lifeline to few members of the communities – Ogere, Ogheye,Ajaopia, Opuraja, Beresisi have all been washed off by the sea-surge. Okerenkoko (Ekaemo) only stay in the community in dry season. Every raining season, they have to pack out as the entrance to Brass waterways have no breakwater.

From providing breakwaters to channeling of the rivers and entrance to the channels, to provision of buoys, Light Houses stores and communication equipment, there is awful neglect with abysmal show of “I don’t bloody care” mindframe. NIMASA has not attended to these great issues yet it is claiming to be involved in physical security.
PICOMSS has been screaming that a great satellite scanner is now in place in Lagos. In Lagos waters alone, over 720 locations of vandalization are operating daily and there is illegal petroleum movement. This includes the Nigeria Navy facilities at Beecroft and Victoria Island. Is it in the newspapers that we do our job?

Dr. President Goodluck Jonathan and General Owoye Andrew Azazi, posterity is waiting to know how you would sanitize the security of the nation’s riverine area and how you would encourage investment in the country for the intending investors in that area. Nigeria Maritime Security Agency is the sure vessel for you to achieve the dream of the late President Musa Ya’Adua, which you contributed to the writing of the bill on the subject matter.
I appeal and want to believe that the withdrawal of the bill is to improve it.

What I mean Sir, in exercise of your power, you can use your humble self or direct the national security adviser to set out a mandate of operation and issue the letter of operation for the Nigeria Maritime Security Agency to commence operations. There is a precedent to that effect. The former President Obasanjo mandated EFCC to operate before its bill was passed. Sir, the mandate of operation must be such that all errors of omission or commission in the withdrawn bill should be corrected after review.

Your well-planned and timely action in this regard will make a clear statement that rascality, gangsterism and corruption cannot stand in your regime. Sir, the Nigeria Maritime Security Agency is a landmark infrastructure, which takes thousands of unemployed youths off the streets and out of misuse by unholy people in the country.
Please, Mr. President, do not allow Nigeria Maritime Security Project die. Nigeria, Africa, the world over including our Lord God Almighty will praise you when you do the right thing.

Francis O Ogbeide