Chief Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Monday says Nigeria needs Coastguard service to protect our maritime laws just like other developed nations in the world.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television, Agbakoba who also argued that the Coastguard should be a standalone institution however said the argument on whether the Navy should be part of the service is subject to debate.
Recall that some Nigerians have argued strongly that Nigeria does not need the proposed creation of a Nigerian Coast Guard, as it would duplicate the Navy’s efforts and drain resources.
Agbakoba, however disagreed saying the Navy and Coastguard are performing different functions.
According to him, while the Coastguard is a law enforcement agency protecting maritime laws, the Navy is a fighting force.
“The issue is, is the Coastguard an important national institution? I think it is. Should a Coastguard service stand alone, should it be a free-standing institution? I think it ought to stand alone. Should the Navy be part of the composition of the Coastguard? That is open to debate”.
“But the question is, should we have a Coastguard service? I think we should have it. Not only is it a requirement of the United Nations Specialized Agency on Maritime, the International Maritime Organisation, that is the requirement. A country must have a maritime safety Agency, a maritime security agency. So, the Coastguard fulfills that function”.
“The Navy in America is the largest in the world. Why do they have a Coastguard? Why is the Coastguard not part of the Navy? The United Kingdom also has a huge navy. Why is the Coastguard different from the Navy in the UK? So, there is a reason for that”.
“The Coastguard is not a fighting force. It is a law enforcement agency. It enforces maritime regulations. We have the Cabotage Act which is not working because we don’t have an institution to deal with it .
“We have over 25,000 foreign vessels in our waters. If the Navy was so effective, what is it doing? So, a Coastguard is designated to deal with the protection of our maritime laws while a Navy is a fighting force. They are two different things”.
