About six bills are presently awaiting the final clause by clause considerations of the in the National Assembly. The bills are; the Maritime Security Bill, Maritime Zones Bill, the Port Amendment Bill, the Chartered Institute of Shipping of Nigeria (CISN) Bill, the NIWA Amendment Bill and the National Transport Commission (NTC) Bill.
House of Representatives Committee chairman on Marine Transport, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi made this known in Abuja while receiving some members of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) who paid him a courtesy visit.
He said the Federal Ministry of Transport noted that there was a vacuum in International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code implementation.
He explained that this vacuum is what the Maritime Security Bill sought to fill, saying that the job of the legislative arm of government is to provide a viable and sustainable framework that ensures that the ships, ports as well as the nation’s waterways are safe.
The lawmaker said this underlying factor was the legislators guiding principle in the consideration of the Maritime Security Bill.
He recalled that the Executive forwarded the bill to the National Assembly seeking to establish a Maritime Security Agency, principally to tackle the ISPS Code and maritime security generally.
Ugwuanyi said the bill was referred to the Committee and a public hearing was held.
On ship piracy, he said the House of Representatives set up an ad-hoc Committee to take a holistic look at the issue, saying the Committee on Marine Transport is represented on the Committee which would report to the larger House.
According to him the thrust of the maritime security bill was geared toward addressing the malaise.
Ugwuanyi also said that Maritime Zones Bills seeks to merge the continental shelf and economic exclusive zones.
He explained that the Committee’s report on Ports Amendment Act Bill had been submitted to plenary for clause by clause consideration.
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