The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, says the Federal Government is looking into the potential of deploying coast guards, to maintain security along the country’s coastline
Oyetola disclosed this on Saturday at the 32nd Iragbiji Day celebration, in Iragbiji, his home town, in Boripe Local Government Area of Osun.
”There are conscious efforts on the security of the marine environment. We have deployed security equipment to safeguard the waterways.
“We are already looking at the possibility of establishing coast guards which will be designed essentially to ensure the safety of our coastline.
“We have not less than 853 kilometres of coastline in Nigeria and about 10,000 perimeters of inland waterways.
“If we want to ensure coastal tourism, we must provide adequate security and we are working with the navy, marine police and others to ensure the security of our waterways”, he said.
Oyetola praised Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi, the town’s traditional ruler, for using the Iragbiji Day celebration to draw progress to the community over the previous 32 years.
The minister, however, disapproved of the state government’s transformation of the federally constructed, town-based, Sustainable Development Goal-focused Skilled Acquisition Centre into a football camp.
”I am so unhappy that the same project that we fought for, for our youths to acquire skills, has been turned into a soccer base.
”I have no quarrel with football but the facility must be used for the purpose it is made.
“The centre is meant for the acquisition of skills for youth and I want the state government to recognise that this project put in place by the Federal Government is for the benefit of the youths in acquiring skills,” he said.