THE United States of America (USA) has stretched a helping hand to Nigeria in the development of effective maritime security strategy that would eliminate pirates from her territorial waters.
To demonstrate her willingness to help in this regard, the U.S. dispatched, over the weekend, a specialise team of Coast Guards to train the country’s maritime law enforcement agents on the implementation of new convention relating to the management of security at sea.
The coast guard operatives from America are already in Nigeria and would train the Nigerian Naval officers and officials from the nation’s maritime administration on how to technically carry out search and rescue operation, weapon confiscation and how to checkmate pirates and armed robbers at sea.
According to the leader of the American coast guard team, which arrived Nigeria over the weekend, Rear Admiral Gerard Hubei (rtd), his country was ready to assist Nigeria attain leadership status in maritime security in the West African sub-region.
Besides, he said his country’s effort was aimed at improving maritime security network around the Gulf of Guinea and Somali, using Nigeria as a base.
Besides, the strategy to combat pirate and robbers at sea, the trainees would also acquire skills on logical interpretation and analysis of distress information for response to Search and Rescue (SAR) challenges. The second phase of the training is expected to begin next month when the U.S. Coast Guards team would engage the junior and senior security officers from the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA on the methodologies of achieving secured and safe maritime sector, using the Safety and Security exercises with the United States of America Cutter Mohawk, as the case study.
At the opening ceremony of the partnership agreement between NIMASA, Nigerian Navy and the U.S. Coast Guards over the weekend, the leader of the U.S. team, Rear Admiral Gerard Hubei (rtd), said the United States of America was ready to help Nigeria to achieve a safe sea in order to propel legitimate and everlasting wealth for its citizenry.
Hubei, a maritime security expert, who reiterated the imperativeness of the joint efforts in attaining maximum maritime security in the country and region, said that his country needs Nigeria, as much as the Nigeria need the U.S
He said the Obama’s government believes that Maritime Security in Nigeria was central to a guaranteed safety and security across the West African region, including the Gulf of Guinea and Somalia.
“Officially, we will be assisting with the installation of some security equipment. For example, we are providing assistance on the Regional Maritime Awareness and the establishment of a surveillance network, partnering the NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy to provide maritime security information from the mainland. The partnership would also encompass establishment of security infrastructure and assistance in defining the able capacity of security operative and rescue operation at the sea, which is the most important aspect of maritime security.
“We in America understand that a lot needs to be done and that is why we are not sitting in our offices… And the United States of America’s Navy and Coast Guards are committed to this security duty in this country (Nigeria), which is why we are embarking on the collaborative efforts on maritime security operations in Nigeria. The reason why we are doing this is simple.
“Maritime security challenge is a global issue. It is not peculiar to the United States of America or Nigeria alone. And the more we are able to protect our sea, the more we are able to retain more establishments in Nigeria and NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy have greater responsibilities to play in this regard. There is need for your country’s leadership to do more in this area. This is why we are here and this is why my boss, last month, met with your minister of Defense and this is why we are coming back next year and this is why we would be training some of your officers on best practices in maritime security operations across the globe,” he explained.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Temisan Omatseye said the collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guards would further strengthen the country’s maritime security stronghold in the region.
According to him, the synergy with the U.S. was because of the need for his agency to discharge the statutory security obligations as expected.
Aug252010