…Fubara urges navy to be firm against oil thieves
The Nigerian Navy has formally relocated its training command headquarters to Rivers State. The new headquarters, located at the former Nne Kurubo Model Secondary School, Ejamah, Ebubu in Eleme Local Government Area, was inaugurated on Friday by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Fubara said at inauguration that the partnership between the state and the navy has been yielding fruitful results.
The compound of Nne Kurubo Model Secondary School was donated to the navy by the immediate past administration of Chief Nyesom Wike after the navy requested to use the school as its training command headquarters.
Fubara urged the navy to ensure that its investment in the professional development of naval personnel translated to advancement in the security and prosperity of the nation’s maritime interests.
He said, “Today, we have seen the results of that noble and progressive decision with the comprehensive transformation and upgrading of the facilities as the Nigerian Navy’s new headquarters training command, which was hitherto domiciled in Lagos State.”
The Governor said Rivers State is a littoral territory with significant deposits of natural resources that was exposed to seaborne security threats, activities of pirates, kidnappers, and pipeline vandals, which impact adversely on the State and national economies, if not effectively tackled.
“This is why we will continue to provide tangible support and work together with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies to safeguard the freedom of navigation, combat criminality on our waterways and ensure that the State is safe and secure for business and development to thrive and benefit our people and the nation.
“As you go on to put this training command into full service, my charge to you is to ensure that this sprawling facility is effectively maintained and utilized to expand your operations and activities for national security development.
“I further implore you to provide effective security and development support to the host communities, and live in peace and harmony with the civilian population in the local government area,” the Governor added.
He announced the donation of N350million to the force to support the continuing infrastructure development and operationalisation of the training command in the State.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, said the daily loss of an estimated 300,000 barrels of crude oil to theft, provides a challenge for the navy to rise up to its mandate of contributing to the survival of the national economy.
Hon. Tajudeen, who was represented by the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, particularly urged the navy to defend and protect the sovereignty of Nigeria’s territorial waters against all forms of threats.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, thanked the Rivers State Government for donating the entire complex to demonstrate the existing cordial relationship between the Nigerian Navy and Rivers State.
Vice Admiral Ogalla said the relocation of the Headquarters Naval Training Command from Lagos to Ebubu-Eleme in Rivers State will bolster human capacity development of personnel of the Nigerian Navy.
He said, “It will also assist in providing the enabling environment for learning and enable us to carry out the statutory manning of the entire State, and national security of our country.
“This is in line with Mr President’s mandate given to us to provide the enabling environment for the harnessing of the enormous economic potentials inherent in our blue economy for the overall good, national prosperity and development.”
Vice-Admiral Ogalla assured that the Nigerian Navy will continue to carry out operations to ensure security of the nation’s maritime domain as well as secure Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta region generally.
