After seven months of holding sway as the Flag Officer (FOC), Commanding Central Naval Command (CNC), Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, bowed out in style.
Undoubtedly, Suleiman left indelible marks in all the Areas of Responsibility (AoR) of the CNC, especially in bringing vandals and other maritime criminals to their heels and in remodeling the headquarters of the command in Yenagoa, the state capital.
The outgone commander, who was redeployed to Defence Headquarters, inaugurated five projects he initiated and executed within seven months before handing over the mantle of leadership to the first indigenous FOC, Rear Admiral Tarioworio Dick.
Suleiman built and commissioned the senior rates mess, a17-self content apartment ratings transit accommodation and galley. He remodeled the main gate of the headquarters and the command’s provost and regulating office.
Since the command headquarters was far from the sea, he created an expansive swimming pool to keep the navy familiar and abreast with its natural environment. He said after every three months, the ratings and officer are expected to undergo a swimming test.
“Cultivate water because it is your theatre of operation”, he charged them adding that a 22.5KVA generator was dedicated to pool to ensure it continuously flow uninterrupted.
Under his command, the CNC for the first time began its publication entitled, Central Searchlight, a publication of the CNC. He launched the glossy magazine which was edited by the command’s Public Relations Officer.
While asking the officers and the ratings to cooperate with the new FOC, Suleiman said the navy was determined to crush pipeline vandals and oil thieves within its Areas of Responsibility (AoR).
He said concrete foundation had been laid by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibok Ibas, to actualise the mandate of the Federal Government against oil thieves and pipeline vandals. Suleiman said the naval headquarters recently fortified the assets of the CNC with additional 10 patrol boats.
He said within seven months, the command destroyed 100 illegal refineries, arrested many suspected oil thieves and impounded ships and other vessels used by vandals.
He said: “We advise thieves to desist. The command will sanction offenders severely in accordance with the extant rules and regulations. We will continue to curb maritime crimes”.
He said within his seven months stint, the command maintained adequate presence at sea and fully deployed operatives in strategic maritime assets adding that oil theft was highly reduced. He said the Shell a Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) reported almost zero crude theft adding that CNC was adjudged the best command in the Nigerian Navy within his period.
He thanked the officers, ratings, the state government and residents of the state for their cooperation and asked them to extend such partnership to the new commander.
In recognition of his excellent performance, the Community Media Network (CMN) led by Delight Ozoegbe, the publisher of a local newspaper, Delight, presented an award to the FOC. He thanked him for reducing maritime crimes especially in the state.
Also Dick, who hails from Nembe Local Government Area of the state, vowed to deal with crude oil thieves, pipeline vandals, kidnappers and pirates.
He, however, appealed to the communities to cooperate with the navy by volunteering information.
He said: “We solicit the community to provide information for us to act. Those who perpetrate this criminality do not represent any community but the live in communities and the communities are not happy with what they are doing.
“I am disturbed by the actions of crude oil thrives because they dig the ground and use it as a storage facility. It damages the environment to the extent that our own children may not recover from what they have done.
“They are not friends and so there should be the whole community approach towards tackling crude oil theft, sea robbery and piracy”.
social commitment and responsibility, in the earnest efforts to facilitate the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region.
At the grand finale of the GEMS competition, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari was placing high premium on science and technology, in order to ensure sustainable development in Nigeria and diversification of the nation’s economy.
Onu was represented by the Director, Gender Desk of the federal ministry, Dr. Nnenna Okoronkwo.
The acting managing director of NDDC, in her welcome address at the GEMS’ grand finale, urged the nine governors of states in the Niger Delta to partner with the Federal Government’s intervention agency on science and technology.
Mrs. Semenitari stated that the greatness and power of countries were interrelated, in no small measure; with the top priority they accord science and technology.
