ICYMI: Senate passes bill to establish Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund

The senate has passed a bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund.

The bill titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund for the Purpose of Training, Provision of Security Equipment and Related Facilities, Enhance the Skills of the Personnel of the Nigerian Navy; and for Related Matters’, was passed on Wednesday. 

The passage of the legislation followed the consideration of a report by the conference committee on the Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2022.

 In his presentation, Danjuma Goje, chairman of the conference committee, recalled that the bill was passed in the house of representatives on September 28th, 2021.

According to Goje, the senate concurred with the passage of the bill after it was transmitted to the upper chamber on December 1st, 2021, with some slight adjustments. 

He said that the difference in the two versions of the bill by both chambers necessitated the constitution of a conference committee by the senate on January 18th, 2022, for harmonisation. 

“The mandate of the Conference Committee, therefore, was to harmonise the area of difference in the two versions of the bill, as passed and make appropriate recommendations for adoption”, Goje said.

 He added that the Conference Committee met on February 1st, 2022, to deliberate on the difference.

 “In the course of the deliberations, it was observed by the conference committee that the only area of difference in the two versions of the bill, as passed by the respective chambers, exists in Clause 14 of the bill, which deals with the appointment of the Executive Secretary and other staff of the Trust Fund,” Goje said. 

“Whilst the House of Representatives version of the bill provides Clause 14(1) that appointment of the Executive Secretary of the Trust Fund Shall be made by Mr President on the recommendation of the minister, the Senate version provides that such appointment should be made without recourse to the recommendation of the minister charged with the responsibility for Defence.

He said after extensive deliberations on the area of difference, the conference committee adopted the senate version.

“They are of the view that such sensitive appointment should be left at the discretion of Mr President in line with the similar appointment on the subject matter,” he added.

The chamber, thereafter, adopted the conference committee report during plenary, and the bill to establish the Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund was passed after consideration by the committee of the whole.