Ex-NITOA Boss Decries Attack On Trawlers

Former National President of the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA), Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi, has lamented that threats and attacks in Nigerian waters have remained largely unchecked despite the presence of the Nigerian Navy over the years.

Orakwusi, who stated this while presenting a paper on “Maritime Offences: Responsibilities and Limitations of Nigerian Navy, penultimate Thursday”, at a workshop organised by the Nigerian Navy, said the path of the Nigerian Navy in the performance of its duties has been rough and dogged with limitations.

She noted that the Nigerian Navy has not been able to perform its statutory functions effectively due to inadequate funding.

According to her inadequate funding of the Nigerian Navy is the “mother of all limitations” confronting the Navy.

“Section 217(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which established the armed forces, states that the armed forces shall be such that the Federation shall equip and maintain it as may be considered adequate and effective for the purpose. On the contrary, the Navy has been neglected and has been in slumber for over 20 years in terms of poor funding. I call lack of funding the mother of all limitations because of its ripple effect,” Orakwusi said.