Nation
NIMASA, Navy Bicker Over Hydrographic Survey Bill
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, on Monday, expressed opposition to the Hydrographic Survey bill.
The agency opposed the bill over what it called “apparent militarisation” of the yet to be created agency.
The position of the agency was presented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajayi, at the public hearing on the bill organised by the House Committee on Navy.
NIMASA, at the hearing, adopted the position of the ministry of transportation.
The bill, sponsored by Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), who is also the chairman of the committee on Navy, seeks to create the agency, under the Nigerian Navy, with the mandate to be in charge of survey and charting of waterways.
The bill was introduced on 23 July, 2020 and passed for second reading on 8 December, 2020.
Mrs Ajayi said: “Hydrography is important to both military and civil authority, but the bill seeks to make hydrography the primary responsibility of the Navy”.
“There seems to be an apparent militarisation of the proposed agency. Hydrography as a discipline is subject to both military and civil authorities worldwide. Hydrographic services are relevant to naval authority, to commercial shipping entities.
“The present bill appears to situate the subject as of primary interest only to the Navy, leading to an error, in our view, in establishing a national agency as an arm to the Nigerian Navy. The emphasis is National.
“Appointment of the hydrographer of the nation under section 5 ‘shall be subject to the provision of the armed forces Act’. The implication of this, and other related provisions in our laws, is that a non-military person cannot be appointed as the hydrographer of the nation, no matter how eminently qualified that person is. It is, therefore, in the opinion of the ministry of transportation that it will have negative consequences on a national agency.
“The agency should be set up as an open institution in collaboration between the military and civil authorities, in order to attract the best professionals, wherever they may be.”
She added that the bill conflicts with some functions of NIMASA.
Responding to the position of the Ministry of Transportation, the Hydrographer of the Navy, Chukwuemeka Okafor, a rear admiral, said “hydrography is too vital to the national security of the country, hence, the agency cannot be domiciled with any civilian agency”.
He noted that the data that are collected mostly have implications on defence.
He added that the country is losing out due to lack of proper charting of waterways.
“Hydrography has national security implications, during a hydrographic survey on a particular body of water, a huge volume of information is acquired from that area, only a small percentage of this is released as civil hydrography, other information that facilitates military operations in that area are kept in a restricted area, and released to the appropriate arms of the military for national defence.
“Saying this without prejudice that there is nothing like civil and military hydrography, once you deploy a sensor in the water, the sensor will capture every information about that body of water, and when that information comes to the shore, the office where it is processed will analyse, the civil and defence information. It will be a huge National Security mistake to domicile this agency in the arms of a purely civil institution.”
The office of the Surveyor-General also made a case that the agency should be under its control.
The Surveyor-General of the Federation, Adeniran Taiwo, while speaking at the hearing, welcomed the bill but noted that his office should superintend over the proposed agency.
“The Office of the surveyor General of the Federation should superintend over this proposed Agency. This is in line with the provision of the Survey Coordination Act CAP. S17 LFN 2004,” he said.
The chairman of the committee said the recommendation of all the agencies will be attached to the bill when it is transmitted to the president if passed by the lawmakers.
Nation
Cleric Preaches Love As Deputy Governor, Chief Judge Grace Wedding In PH
The Presiding Bishop of Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, Bishop Victor Uzosike, has described love as the bedrock of human existence, family stability and societal harmony, stressing that without love, nothing meaningful can thrive.
Bishop Uzosike made this assertion while speaking to journalists during the wedding ceremony of his daughter, Praise Uzosike, to Architect Chibuzor Akubueze on Saturday, December 20, 2025. The solemnisation was held at the Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, and was attended by dignitaries from across Nigeria and beyond.
According to the cleric, love is not only the foundation of relationships but also a powerful force that determines the success of individuals, families and communities.
“If you do not love a place, that place will not bless you. If you do not love your children, they will not be useful to you. If you do not love your family, your family will become a strange island to you. What you do not love, you do not have. Love is the key,” he said.
Reflecting on his family’s journey, Bishop Uzosike said God’s love had sustained them through seasons of challenges and triumphs, noting that unity had remained their greatest strength.
“We have stayed together as one family. God has shown us love in miraculous and mysterious ways, especially during difficult times,” he stated.
Describing the wedding as an amazing and beautiful experience, the bishop expressed appreciation for the show of love from his daughter’s friends, many of whom travelled from the United Kingdom and Ghana to attend the ceremony. He revealed that some of them personally paid for their flights and accommodation, which he described as a rare display of genuine friendship.
He also disclosed that his first daughter, who lives in Manchester, United Kingdom, with her husband, could not attend the wedding due to tight schedules, but noted that she remains happily married and fulfilled.
While thanking guests for honouring his family with their presence, prayers and goodwill, Bishop Uzosike said he felt proud and grateful to God.
“One of the greatest gifts God can give to a man is children who are sound in all ramifications. My children can see, hear, speak and walk. That alone is enough reason to be grateful,” he said.
He praised the bride, describing Praise as an exceptional achiever who had distinguished herself academically. According to him, she completed secondary school at 15, graduated with First Class honours at 19, and earned distinctions in her MBA as well as her first and second master’s degrees.
“For a long time, people believed that highly educated women may not marry early or at all. Today, Praise has proved otherwise. She has made her mother and me very proud,” he said, describing her as a rare gem.
Bishop Uzosike also expressed joy over his son-in-law, whom he described as God-fearing, disciplined and professionally sound.
“He is well brought up, passionate about God and morally upright. His parents did a great job. My wife, Pastor Esther, also did an excellent job,” he added.
The wedding ceremony attracted prominent personalities, including the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof. Ngozi Odu; the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Ayemeyie; and several senior clerics.
Bishop Fidelis Ugbong officiated the solemnisation, while Apostle Chika Onuzo delivered the sermon, identifying communication, sex and money as key factors that can strengthen or weaken marriages.
Prof. Ngozi Odu also prayed for the couple and paid glowing tributes, drawing admiration from attendees.
The reception, held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Port Harcourt, was equally colourful. Justice Matilda Ayemeyie proposed the toast, describing marriage as not always a bed of roses and emphasising patience, commitment and understanding.
The event was chaired by Chief Henry Nwabugo and attended by notable personalities, including retired Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili; Apostle David Zilly-Aggrey; Hon. Otunba Jumbo; Nze Best Anele; and Prof. Henry Ogiri, among others.
Guests were entertained with dance performances by the couple, while the parents’ outing added elegance to the celebration. The master of ceremonies, Ambassador Kingsley, kept the audience engaged with humour and interactive sessions.
Overall, the wedding was a remarkable blend of spirituality, culture and celebration, marked by love, joy and unforgettable moments.
Nation
2027: APC Chieftain Predicts Tinubu’s Victory …Says Bayelsa Stakeholders Supporting President en masse … IPAC Knitted Together, Working In Synergy With His Office
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), in Bayelsa State and Special Adviser to the State Governor on Inter-Party Relations, Dr Jackson Ebi Suokiri has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would secure landslide win in the 2027 Presidential polls.
The Governor’s Aide stated this in Yenagoa, the state capital on Wednesday while fielding questions from newsmen against the backdrop of Tuesday’s pioneer Stakeholders meeting of the party convened by the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri as leader of the Party in the State upon his recent defection late last year.
He averred that Party stakeholders in the state were prepared to give the President the massive support needed to return elected, come 2027 following his sterling trajectory of performance and qualitative leadership prowess.
Dr Suokiri stressed that the reason for the governor’s swapping of party was in the best interest of the state, while also noting that the governor took the right decision as there was no need continuing with opposition politics even as the state has to align with the national government for rapid socioeconomic and political advantages for the state and its people.
“Governor Diri’s defection like you’ve personally heard him saying was for the best interest of our state, Bayelsa. When you’ve a President performing well at the national level and being very supportive to your state as a governor, I don’t think you’ve to be in an opposition party anymore, but rather align with the centre.
“Diri is a bridge builder. He is at peace with everybody and willing to work with all, irrespective of party affiliations or political differences for the interest of the state.
“As Stakeholders we’ve resolved to collectively work to return President Tinubu elected for second term in 2027. And you can see the Governor is not pressuring anybody or the structure of his former party, the PDP to defect like he has done.
“The PDP structure in the state is still intact, and for the APC, his new Party even as current leader in the State, he has been working with the structure and everybody he met on ground, hence you can see that the APC Caretaker Committee led by Dr. Dennis Otiotio has been maintained at the pioneer Stakeholders meeting convened by the Governor.
“But you must also know like you’ve seen and I’ve previously said that Governor Diri has outperformed expectations of Bayelsans in all sectors, be it economy, infrastructure, health, education, etc.”, he said.
Meanwhile, as against insinuations that some political parties were not working with the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Party Relations, the Governor’s Aide has revealed that as it were currently, all the 19 registered political parties with presence in the state are working in unity with his office as members of the Inter-party advisory council (IPAC).
“IPAC is working in unity with my office. Before the Governor’s defection the only party that wasn’t working with my office was the APC. But since after his formal defection, the APC and even those other parties that were either sympathetic to the APC, the governor’s new party or the PDP, his former Party are all now working together with my office as members of IPAC”, Suokiri added.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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