Admiralty Lawyers Society of Nigeria (ALSN) has called for the amendment of section 251 of the 1999 Constitution to create flexibility in the management and control of maritime.
According to the Society, if such an amendment is done, states like Rivers State can do more to boost their internal revenue generation by leveraging from internal waters within their ambiance.
Its President, Angus Obinna Chukwuka, in a statement, lamented the lack of pharmaceutical components in the maritime resource.
He also lamented that maritime pollution has continued to deal fatal blows to our economic health as a country.
His words: “Sea fishes and animals are lost daily to pollution of our waters by oil. Sea Shrubs, herbs and other powerful medicinal plants of enormous economic value are lost without records courtesy of marine pollution. But marine pollution goes beyond oil.
“Dumping of toxic wastes, as well as polythene bags and water bottles, are constituting major and unimaginable hazards to sea life and the humans consuming sea water and sea animals or plants. The government has in 2024 to do more work on the prevention of pollution of our marine environment.
Both the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) must sit up this year and decide the fate of Nigeria and Nigerians via Marine pollution. Well, training and capable personnel should be deployed to salvage what is left of our maritime ambiance. Proper surveillance, investigations and prosecutions where necessary would be quite helpful.”
Chukuwuka further tasked the government with excellent maritime infrastructure and proceeded with an adequate multimodal transport system.
He also called on the government to take steps to ensure that aviation fuel prices are reduced considerably.
“Indeed, the fuel pump price should be generally reduced to minimize continued inflation on our goods, much of which is imported through carriage of goods by Sea.
“Continued rise in pump price will significantly affect, in a negative way, maritime operations, carriage of goods and price of goods.2023 did not help matters in this regard but 2024 is another year,” he said.
