King Alfred Diete-Spiff, Chancellor of the premier Maritime University, Okorenkoko in Delta has thrown his weight behind the proposed establishment of Nigeria Coast Guard Service by President Bola Tinubu
Diete-Spiff, who is also the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, noted that the special maritime force will complement sister agencies to police the nation’s coastline.
Diete-Spiff who made the commendation when he received the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Bayelsa Governor on Tourism Dr Piriye Kiyaramo in his office in Yenagoa on Thursday,
The traditional ruler noted that the establishment of the Coast Guard Service has remained his dream over the years, describing the present administration’s plan to establish it as the best thing that would happen to the country’s maritime sector.
According to the retired Naval top brass and Master mariner, the Coast Guard is usually mandated to be responsible for performing maritime search and rescue operations, maritime law enforcement, maritime safety, marine environmental protection.
He listed other functions to include and the conduct of maritime surveillance and security operations at sea.
According to him, the Coast Guard also regulates and inspects vessels and maritime facilities to reduce risk of marine pollution incidents.
The revered Royal father commended Gov Douye Diri 9f Bayelsa for his foresight and vision in proposing to set up a new Ministry of Blue Economy in line with the federal government’s vision of developing the nation’s maritime sector.
He explained that there was urgent need for Tinubu’s administration to consider the construction of the coastal road project that stretches from Bakassi in Cross River to Badagry in Lagos State.
Diete-Spiff also applauded the current Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for proposing to construct a coastal railway that would criss cross the littoral states from Lagos to Calabar.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Bayelsa State Governor on Tourism briefed the Chancellor of Nigerian Maritime University of activities and programmes of his office with emphasis on promoting the coastal and marine tourism potential of Bayelsa while giving hint on the intention of Gov. Diri to create a new Ministry of Blue Economy in his second term in office.
Kiyaramo maintained that maritime security remains the anchor that ensures the stability, safety, and prosperity in any maritime state like Bayelsa, adding that maritime security, within the Blue Economy, has become one major source of economic development and growth in a country’s economy.
Kiyaramo also observed that that the new agency would be in a better position to to handle issues relating to fisheries protection, pollution control, sanitation, narcotic drugs, prohibited plants, psychotropic substances, illegal firearms and ammunitions, and protection of maritime resources.
“The blue economy gives us the opportunity to maximise economic resources relating to coastline, seas, oceans and waterways in general.
“While restoring damaged ecosystems as well as introducing innovative technologies that would help to efficiently and sustainably manage everything the coasts, seas and oceans can offer us as a maritime state or nation,” Kiyaramo said.
It would recalled that the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, recently anniunced the federal government’s plan to establish Coast Guard during bilateral discussions with ministers and representatives from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Brazil and Jamaica at the 33rd General Assembly session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).