Marine police seek empowerment for officers in coastal states

The Maritime Police Command, has appealed to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to extend capacity building program given its officers and men of the coastal state commands across the country.

The call stems from satisfaction derived from a two-day training program organised for the officers and men of the command in Lagos.

The council on Thursday and Friday in Lagos held a training programme for personnel of the Maritime Police Command.

The Maritime Police Command comprise: Marine Police, Port Authority Police, inland waterways and Maritime Police with supervisory headquarters at Obalende, Lagos.

The Police urged the Council to engage personnel in Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, Cross Rivers and Bayelsa states to benefit from the training to promote trade and cargo security across the country.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Uba Kura Mohammed, said the force would continue to synergize with the council to ensure smooth trade facilitation at the seaports.

The police top brass assured, that his command would continue to work with the council in achieving its economic port regulator’s mandate in boosting international trade adding that the training programme was timely for personnel from the Maritime units.

Uba Kura reiterated the Maritime Police commitment towards promoting ease of doing business at the ports, assuring the council that any form of delay in the clearance of cargoes would be resolved.

Uba Kura who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Maritime Police Command, Mr. Kayode Adegoke noted that speedy clearance of cargoes from the port would promote a friendly and robust business atmosphere for international trade, adding that issues on delay of cargoes would soon be a thing of the past.

“I want to sincerely thank Nigeria Shippers’ Council for this seminar. I know it will go a long way to assist the police in improving service delivery but at the same time, I want to implore our officers and men to take the advantage of the seminar because it is very important.

“We must take the advantage of the lectures delivered. Please don’t go and throw away the materials.

“Make sure you read and digest all the materials and practice it whenever you get to the field”, he urged personnel.

He also advised officers and men under the command to be friendly and trustworthy with stakeholders, pointing out that transparency was key in port operations.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Council, Barrister Hassan Bello reiterated that as port economic regulator, there was need to synergise with sister agencies at the ports

Bello commended the Maritime Police for the synergy in its enforcement roles against erring service providers in port operations.

Bello was represented by Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement Division, Regulatory Services Department of the council, Mrs. Celine Ifeora.