By Moses Patience Chat
The Director-General and Commandant of the Merchant Navy Corps, Allen Benson Edema, has urged the 10th National Assembly to pass into law the Merchant Navy Bill in order to stop crude oil theft in Nigeria as failure to do that will worsen the case.
Edema said this on Monday during an interview with journalists in Abuja, where he lamented that the proposed law has been rejected severally on the floors of both chambers since the 8th National Assembly.
He explained that the bill for the establishment of the Nigerian Merchant Navy (NMN) Coast Guard Security and Safety Corps was introduced in the 8th Senate by the immediate past Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege but legislative activities could not be concluded on it.
According to him, the bill seeks the creation of the Coast Guard Corps whose Director General shall also be the Commandant and Chief Executive Officer appointed by the President and is subject to the confirmation of the Senate.
The Board of the Corps, he added, would be composed of representatives from the Federal Ministries of Transportation, Environment, Finance, Health, Defence and many others.
Operatives of the NMN Coast Guard Corps, according to the legislation, would monitor and protect the Nigerian territorial waters from pollution during shipbuilding in docks and in slip-ways and during construction of any maritime facilities.
They will also protect the Nigerian territorial waters from dumping, pollution by toxic waste poisons, chemicals, or any other elements that constitute risks to human and marine lives.
The Corps is also saddled with the responsibility of monitoring and controlling all government and commercial transport boats or any marine facilities operating in the maritime offshore and onshore environment and also ensuring safety.
It will also monitor petroleum products loading and offloading activities of marketers and distributors for proper efficient distribution to deports and various stations and locations.
He further said that the Navy Bill will also empower the Corps to provide security for merchant vessels along seaports, ships on midstream anchorage, tug boats fishing trawlers, crafts, passenger boats, among others.