Charge Naval Officers to be Professional in conduct

President Muhammadu Buhari, has commissioned 118 ships and boats, (some built by the Nigerian Navy) including a helicopter, to enhance the capability of the Nigerian Navy in securing the nation’s maritime domain as well as the Gulf of Guinea.

One of the boats commissioned

These assets included seven Seaward ships and 111 boats. One of them, NNS Oji, a Seaward Defense Boat, SDB III, was locally built by the Nigerian Navy engineers at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island Lagos.

Speaking at the commissioning  and keel laying for the construction of Boat-IV and Boat-V, at the Naval dockyard,  Victoria Island Lagos, Buhari   congratulated the Navy under the watch of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, for his efforts.

He said, ” I am delighted to note that one of the ships to be commissioned today, NNS OJI; which is a Seaward Defence Boat, is the third of its series to be locally built at the Naval Dockyard Limited, Lagos, solely by our Navy engineers. Given our present high dependence on oil and gas revenues, the Navy is undeniably a major contributor to the economic well-being of our country”.

Buhari stated that arrests of those involved in illegalities on the country’s waterways had yielded results, noting that ” some pirates, illegal bunkering syndicates, pipeline vandals and other miscreants have been convicted this year.

“We should note that we are in a critical period where our country is faced with serious decline in our revenue and the security challenges we are facing. ‘The present realities, therefore, call for prudent resource management, innovativeness, accountability and careful maintenance”.

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, explained that one of the commissioned ships, NNS LANA, a Hydrographic Ship,  would be involved in the hydrographic survey of the nation’s territorial waters, towards ensuring the safety of navigation within Nigerian waterways.

The CNS emphasized that the efforts are “To enhance the performance of our constitutional role regarding the hydrographic survey and policing of our waters. Invariably, the induction of these platforms into the NN fleet will lead to further decline in criminal activities in our Maritime Domain”.

”The Nigerian Navy remains committed to a robust collaborative engagement with other maritime stakeholders in enhancing the performance of the nation’s ports and that shipping activities along our Sea Lanes of communications including maritime activities along the Inland waterways are not hindered in any way.

“Let me emphasize that the commissioning of the SDB III, NNS OJI and others  is a manifestation of the Federal Government’s commitment to maintaining a well-equipped navy that Nigerians would be proud of.