“GO AND FIGHT AT THE SENATE”

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TELLS MASECA BILL ‘WARRIORS’

On – going lobbying for and against the enactment of the Maritime Security Agency (MASECA) Bill took a new and higher dimension last week following the intervention of the National Security Adviser (NSA) General Aliyu Gusau who summoned the ‘warring’ agencies to a meeting in Abuja.

The high- calibre meeting which held in the NSA’s office had in attendance: Minister of Transport, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA),Managing Director,  Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA), Chief of Naval   
Staff (CNS) and Chairman, Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PICOMSS). The meeting was presided over by the NSA.

A Source at the meeting confirmed to our correspondent that there was only one item on the agenda and that was the controversial Maritime Security Agency (MASECA).

“The NSA wanted all of them to argue their cases and guide them on how to either move forward with the bill or jettison it. He actually invited everyone for the meeting in view of the bad blood that it is generating especially since the public hearing at the House of Representatives and the eventual passage. He actually wanted to hear them out ahead of the forthcoming debate at the Senate”, the source confirmed.

Shipping Position Weekly confirmed that unlike the sharp division which had existed among the various chief executives on the Bill, they were very modest in their opposition and there was no blowing hot air as had been anticipated.

Our correspondent also learnt that while the Navy subtly maintained that it has the responsibility to ensure safety of the nation’s territorial waters, PICOMSS reportedly pointed out that it was not contesting that responsibility and argued that the Nigeria Navy should remain as ‘Blue Navy’ and leave maritime security on channels, crafts  and cargoes to PICOMSS.  

Our source also hinted that “rather NPA support NIMASA as it did at the public hearing, NPA sat on the fence, while NIMASA also did not put a good enough fight to reclaim what is about to be taken away from it”. “They all allowed PICOMSS to have an advantage, probably because they were too overwhelmed by the presence of the NSA”.     

Shipping Position Weekly confirmed that apparently convinced that the legislative process which had commenced must be seen through at the Senate, the NSA was said to have directed that rather than kill the Bill at the Presidency, the MASECA Bill must continue on its journey at the National Assembly. 

The Bill had earlier been passed at lower legislature in March his year to the bewilderment of maritime sector stakeholders who had thought that it would be killed at the lower chamber.

The MASECA Bill which is cited as, “A Bill for an Act to establish the Maritime Security Agency to promote Maritime Security and other related purposes, 2010 (SB. 329)” on the  Senate order paper for Wednesday May 19, 2010 was however later stood down at the upper chamber, owing to what  was alleged as irregularities in appropriation for 2010. The bill is being sponsored by the Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin