By David Owei,Bayelsa<\/p>\n
Following the Senate President, His Excellency Senator Godswill Akpabio\u2019s call for further consultations during the third reading of the Nigerian Coast Guard Bill, the Provisional Committee for the Proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC-NCG) has issued a clarification on concerns regarding duplication of functions.<\/p>\n
In a statement issued by the Director of Communication and Public Affairs, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, on behalf of the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of PC-NCG, Captain Noah Ichaba Wednesday, the Committee said the consultation provides an opportunity to refocus the debate on facts, sound public policy, and the national interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe evidence overwhelmingly supports this fact: duplication already exists. The Nigerian Coast Guard is designed to eliminate it,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n
The statement noted that since duplication of functions was one of the concerns raised by the Senate, it is clear that duplication has existed for decades.<\/p>\n
Coast Guard duties have been distributed across numerous institutions. Each agency maintains its own command structure, personnel, logistics, equipment, administrative overhead, and budget to perform aspects of maritime safety, maritime security, law enforcement, environmental protection, search and rescue, border control, anti-smuggling operations, and the protection of maritime infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the true duplication,\u201d Captain Ichaba stated. \u201cThe real question is whether Nigeria should continue managing critical maritime duties through fragmented and overlapping structures, or establish a dedicated institution to coordinate them effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Reform, Not An Expansion:
\nAccording to PC-NCG, the proposed Nigerian Coast Guard does not create duplication. It is designed to eliminate it.<\/p>\n
Rather than multiplying institutions, the Coast Guard will consolidate related civil maritime functions into a single specialized organization with one command structure, one operational doctrine, one statutory mandate, and one line of accountability.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Coast Guard is not another competitor in the maritime sector. It is the fourth pillar,\u201d the statement added. \u201cIt is the institutional solution to decades of fragmented responsibilities, overlapping mandates, duplicated expenditure, and diffused accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Closing An Institutional Gap:
\nThe Committee further noted that by dispersing Coast Guard duties among multiple agencies, Nigeria has unintentionally erased the institutional identity of one of the world\u2019s most recognized maritime services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe nation performs Coast Guard functions every day, yet has no Coast Guard institution to represent those responsibilities nationally or internationally. The functions exist. The institution does not. The duties are performed. The identity is absent. Three of the four pillars are active, but the fourth is absent.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a result, Nigeria forfeits administrative efficiency, professional specialization, international visibility, and the strategic advantages that accompany a legally established Coast Guard.<\/p>\n
For a nation with one of Africa\u2019s largest coastlines, extensive inland waterways, major seaports, offshore oil and gas infrastructure, and a rapidly expanding Blue Economy, the absence of a dedicated Coast Guard diminishes Nigeria\u2019s maritime standing.<\/p>\n
The Path Forward:
\nPC-NCG welcomed the Senate\u2019s commitment to further consultation and urged that discussions focus on existing structural realities, not merely on the name of the institution.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Nigerian Coast Guard is not a duplication, but a correction of duplication. It is not an expansion of bureaucracy, but a rationalization of it. It is not an additional burden on public finance, but a structural reform that promises greater efficiency, stronger accountability, better coordination, and more prudent use of public resources,\u201d the statement concluded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe duplication is the problem. The Coast Guard is the solution. The time has come for Nigeria to replace fragmented responsibility with unified accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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