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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
The first military governor of Old Rivers State and chancellor of the first paramilitary maritime university in West Africa, Nigeria’s Maritime University, Okorenkoko in Delta State, King Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff, the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, has thrown his weight behind the proposed establishment of Nigeria Coast Guard Service by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, saying that the special maritime force will compliment sister agencies to police the nation’s coastline.
King Diete-Spiff who made the commendation when he received the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Bayelsa State Governor on Tourism in his office in Yenagoa on Wednesday, noted that the establishment of the Coast Guard Service has remained his dream over the years, describing the present administration’s plan to establish it as the best thing that would happen to the country’s maritime sector.
According to the retired Commander in Nigerian Navy and Master mariner, the Coast Guard is usually mandated to be responsible for performing maritime search and rescue operations, maritime law enforcement, maritime safety, marine environmental protection and the conduct of maritime surveillance and security operations at sea, adding that the Coast Guard also regulates and inspects vessels and maritime facilities to reduce risk of marine pollution incidents.
The revered royal father commended the Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri for his foresight and vision in proposing to set up a new Ministry of Blue Economy in line with the Federal Government’s vision of developing the nation’s maritime sector, while stressing the urgent need for Tinubu’s administration to consider the construction of the coastal road project that stretches from Bakassi in Cross River State to Badagry in Lagos State.
King Diete-Spiff also applauded the current board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for proposing to construct a coastal railway that would criss-cross the littoral states from Lagos to Calabar in Cross River State.
Earlier, the senior special assistant (SSA) to Bayelsa State governor on Tourism, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, who is also publisher of the Blue Economy magazine online, had briefed the chancellor of Nigerian Maritime University of activities and programmes of his office with emphasis on promoting the coastal and marine tourism potential of Bayelsa State, while giving hint on the intention of Governor Douye Diri to create a new Ministry of Blue Economy during his second term in office.
Dr. Kiyaramo maintained that maritime security remains the anchor that ensures the stability, safety, and prosperity in any maritime state like Bayelsa, reiterating that maritime security, within the Blue Economy, has become one major source of economic development and growth in a country’s economy.
The publisher further informed the royal father of the proposed Coast Guard Service by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, adding that the new agency would be in a better position to compliment other sister agencies to handle issues relating maritime security, maritime safety, fisheries protection, pollution control, sanitation, narcotic drugs, prohibited plants, psychotropic substances, illegal firearms and ammunitions, and protection of maritime resources.
“The blue economy gives us the opportunity to maximise economic resources relating to coastline, seas, oceans and waterways in general, while restoring damaged ecosystems as well as introducing innovative technologies that would help us to efficiently and sustainably manage everything the coasts, seas and oceans can offer us as a maritime state or nation,” Dr. Kiyaramo said.
It would recalled that the minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, had reiterated the Federal Government’s plan to establish Coast Guard during bilateral discussions with ministers and representatives from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Brazil and Jamaica at the 33rd General Assembly session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Media aide to Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan quoted the Minister as saying: “Nigeria’s government wants to learn from the knowledge and experiences of other countries before setting up its coast guard. Nigeria would want to learn from the operations of the Brazilian coast guards.
“As we continue to expand and develop the activities of the sector, there will be a need to deepen security architecture within the maritime space. In this regard, we are considering setting up Coast Guards, and we believe that they will complement the existing security architecture to further secure our maritime space,” Oyetola added.
