#TrackNigeria The Nigerian Navy on Thursday in Abuja, called for the strengthening of inter-agency cooperation among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ease interaction and speedy disposal of maritime offences.
Director of Legal Services, Naval Headquarters, Abuja, Commodore Jamila Malafa, made the call at a stakeholders meeting on Harmonised Standard Operating Procedures Act on arrest, detention and prosecution of vessels and persons in Nigeria’s maritime environment.
The call was sequel to the executive summary of the report on outcome of proceedings on request for provisional measures instituted by Switzerland Confederation against Nigeria at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany.
Malafa said that there was need for the Navy to liaise with relevant stakeholders to ensure that cases involving arrested vessels were charged to court timely, and the matter dispensed with speedily.
She called for capacity-building of navy lawyers in Maritime Law at the International Maritime Law Insitiute, Malta and other relevant institutions to equip them to effectively advice and handle all aspects of maritime law.
Malafa also canvassed the need for the Service and all government agencies to respond to correspondence swiftly to avoid putting the nation in any precarious situation.
She noted that if Nigeria had responded to the several overtures from Switzerland to discuss the MT SAN PADRE PIO case, it would have saved the country the financial and human commitments spent to defend its stance at the ITLOS.
She said that certain lessons had been learnt from the entire case of the vessel, and if implemented, would reposition the Nigerian Navy and Nigeria on a better pedestal.
The ship, MT San Padre Pio, was arrested by the Navy on Jan. 23, 2018, for operating in Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone without licence.
The report stated that the vessel and her crew were charged for illegally dealing in petroleum products and forgery at the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Division.
It said nevertheless, that Switzerland initiated an action against Nigeria at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
It disclosed that parties were heard on June 21 to 22, 2019, and the Tribunal adjourned the matter to July 6, for ruling.
According to it, the tribunal ruled among other decisions, that Switzerland and Nigeria shall refrain from taking any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute submitted to the arbitral tribunal. (NAN
