A coalition of nine civil society organisations has requested the National Assembly to revisit its earlier probe on the $195 million coastal waterways security contract awarded an Israeli private firm, HLSI Security Systems and Technologies Limited, by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The groups, under the umbrella of addressing the media, Wednesday, in Abuja, said revisiting probe of the contract was necessary given that the action had grave national security implications on the country.
Mr. Solomon Adodo, National Coordinator
of Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, who spoke on behalf of the
coalition, said the award of the contract to a foreign security firm ran
contrary to some sections of the nation’s constitution which provides that the
security of it shall be in the hands of its Armed Forces. He said “all over the
world, no nation leaves affairs of national security totally in the command and
control of a private firm”, hence “Nigeria should therefore not be an
exception.”
According to the groups, the “law thus vested
solely the task of protecting our water ways on the Nigerian on the Nigerian
Navy”, adding:”The Navy was given expanded military roles, especially in the
oil and gas sectors of the Nigerian maritime economy.” He said:” The
Empowerment for Unemployed Youths Initiative in partnership with eight other
Civil Society Groups raised alarm over a shoddy contract for the security and
control of our coastal waterways valued at one hundred and ninety five million
dollars ($195,000,000.00) which contract was awarded to HLSI security
systems. “Our cry was premised on the fact that the said contract have grave
national security implication owing to the ceding of the control of our water
ways to a foreign firm which is a gross violation of our status as a sovereign
Nation. “This clandestine contract contravenes the provisions of the 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, Chapter 1V, Part
III, Section 217, sub section 1&2 states, ‘’There shall be an Armed Forces
for the Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly.
“The Federation shall, subject to an Act of the National Assembly made in that
behalf, equip and maintain the Armed Forces as may be considered adequate and
effective for the purpose of –(a) defending Nigeria on land, sea, or air; (c)
suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore
order when called upon to do so by the President, but subject to such
conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly; and (d) performing
such other functions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
“It also negates the provision of Part 1, section 4 and particularly sub
section A of the Armed Forces Act which provides thus: ’the Navy shall, in
particular, be further charged with- enforcing and assisting in coordinating
the enforcement of all customs, laws, including anti-bunkering fishery and
immigration laws of Nigeria at sea; enforcing and assisting in coordinating the
enforcement of national and international maritime laws ascribed or acceded to
by Nigeria; making of charts and coordinating of all national hydrographic
surveys; and promoting, coordinating and enforcing safety regulations in the
territorial water and the Exclusive Economic Zone of Nigeria’’. He explained
that:”This law thus vested solely the task of protecting our water ways on the
Nigerian on the Nigerian Navy. The Navy was given expanded military roles,
especially in the oil and gas sectors of the Nigerian maritime economy.”
The coalition said it had since petitioned the
National Assembly,explaining that in the petition, it specifically emphasised
that:”That no Sovereign Nation surrenders or cedes control of its water ways to
foreign entities for the inherent dangers therein.” Other points,according to
Mr Adodo were:”That the contract and ceding of our water ways to the exclusive
control of a foreign firm is an avenue to divert Nigeria’s oil for selfish
interest and personal gains” and “That ceding our water ways and the critical
national assets therein to foreign firms will definitely undermine the
constitutional role of the Nigerian Armed Forces as prescribed by law and will
expose our Nation to glaring security risks and ridicule among the comity of
nations.” The groups frowned at the continuation of the contract after the
Federal Executive Council had ordered its cancellation. The text further
read:”The cancellation of the said contract was as a result of the obvious
flaws and intentions to defraud the nation which caught the eagle eyed attention
of President Muhammadu Buhari and prompted him to act fast in the overall
national interest. “To our consternation and dismay however, our findings
indicate that enemies of our commonwealth who seek to cast aspersions on the
good government of President Buhari just to achieve their selfish ends smuggled
the said Contract into the 2018 and 2019 National Budget to finance the
contract which had already been reversed by the President. “The desperation to
go ahead with this contract despite its grave implications of economic sabotage
and national security compromise raises very strong questions. ” Let it not be
lost on us that this contract was entered into between the Federal Ministry of
Transportation and HLSI whereas the Contract is a security contract for which
the Ministry of Defence should have appropriately handled. Furthermore, the
Firm awarded the contract has no sound antecedents of handling contracts of
this magnitude, we must therefore make all efforts to avoid the pitfalls and
challenges Nigeria encountered with the P&ID Contract. ” It is also on
record that the Minister of Transportation – Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi – is
caught in a web of conflict of interest considering the fact that the
company being awarded the contract has links with him in the light of the fact
that the Company handled contracts for the Rivers State Government while the
Rt. Hon. served as Governor of the State “We therefore use this medium to cry
out to the National Assembly to come to the rescue of Nigeria and Nigerians
again. This massive fraud and attempt to surreptitiously hijack national
security must not be allowed to stand. In the same vein, we herein use this
medium to call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to rise and
decisively deal with all those culpable of flouting the status quo pertaining
the reversal of the said contract. “We urge the National Assembly which has
shown to be the bastion of hope to immediately call the Minister of
Transportation to order and put the interest and security of Nigeria first and
not to jeopardize or expose our nation to further security and economic
dangers.”