Expand and Professionalise Maritime Police to Boost Security — Former Naval Chief Urges

Former Chief of Naval Staff Issah Yakubu is calling for a major expansion and professionalisation of the Ghana Maritime Police Unit, arguing that a stronger, well‑resourced maritime police force is essential to enforcing domestic laws in Ghana’s territorial waters and freeing the Navy to focus on higher‑level security operations.

Speaking at the 50th Republic Anniversary Lecture in Accra on Wednesday, July 1, Yakubu said West Africa’s rapidly evolving security landscape demands deeper collaboration among state institutions rather than an over‑reliance on the Ghana Navy.

Delivering his lecture on the theme “From Sahel to the Gulf: Violent Extremism and Maritime Insecurity in West Africa,” he proposed that the Maritime Police be empowered to take full responsibility for law enforcement within Ghana’s zero to 12‑nautical‑mile territorial waters and in port jurisdictions — areas he described as extensions of Ghana’s land territory where domestic laws fully apply.

Yakubu argued that shifting routine policing duties to the Maritime Police would allow the Navy to concentrate on complex operations such as counter‑piracy, offshore asset protection, and broader maritime security missions.

He recommended a model where experienced naval officers are embedded or seconded into the Maritime Police leadership and training structures.

“Naval officers have the seafaring and tactical expertise that a largely land‑focused police service might lack. By leading Marine Police units and sharing knowledge, they can inculcate naval standards and skills within the unit,” he said.

Yakubu also urged Parliament to expedite the passage of the Maritime Offences Bill, describing it as crucial to strengthening Ghana’s legal framework for combating maritime crime.

— CitiNewsRoom