The Navy suffered severely under military rule. The first few years of democracy were also unfair to it. But, partnership with organisations, such as Oando, and commitment on the part of its new leadership is changing its fortunes and helping the war against piracy and other waterways crimes, writes Precious Igbonwelundu
They were in power. So, it should be their best moments. But, 1993 to 1999 could pass for the worst moments for the Navy and other forces. No thanks to the embargo placed on Nigeria as a result of the political instability caused by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The Navy was unable to import or export military equipment and this led to the deterioration of existing facilities, which could not be maintained.
For the Navy, most of her ships and other platforms, which were being used to maintain regular presence at sea to fight sea criminals, became dysfunctional. The situation did not only affect the vessels and platforms, as everything, including housing for officers had their share.
With the return to democracy, the embargo was lifted but due to the cost of refurbishing the comatose platforms and the Navy’s limited budgetary provisions, successive naval chiefs from 1999 looked the other way.
At the Navy Town in Ojo, Lagos State, the force’s premiere and largest barracks were taken over by flood, such that officers and Ratings were abandoning their allotted houses for safer accommodations.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola-Sa’ad Ibrahim, under whose watch as Chief of Naval Staff, the NN built its first ever indigenous Seaward Defence Boat (SDB), Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Andoni as well as acquired a one- time United States Navy flagship, NNS Thunder, seems to be changing the tide.
Like his predecessor, the current CNS, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba on assumption of office on October 4, 2012, declared his intention to return the Navy to its prime position. From the time Vice Admiral Ezeoba took over stewardship of the Navy to January this year, no fewer than 50 ships were interrogated for different forms of illegality, including crude oil theft and illegal importation of arms and ammunitions on the nation’s maritime space, with several of them handed over to prosecuting agencies for trial.
The Navy has also taken delivery of four OCEA type Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) and four SHALDAG and Manta class OPVs; a N178 million newly constructed and equipped diagnostic centre has been put in place at the Navy Reference Hospital. The First and Second Avenue Roads in Navy Town Ojo have been reconstructed; 24 blocks of two 17 blocks of three bedroom flats and 24 blocks of one bedroom flat for Senior Ratings and Lieutenant Commanders and campsite have been constructed; and pilot quarters as well as female transit accommodation have been provided.
Others are the construction of Physics and Biology laboratories at the Navy Secondary School, Ojo; a car park; blocks of classroom and the rehabilitation of the Naval Ordinance Depot, NOD Jetty.
To enhance the strength of the navy as regards the functionality of its platforms, Vice Admiral Ezeoba approved the Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) of one of its few Augusta helicopters that has been grounded for about eight years, just as several ships, some of which have been grounded for 18 years, are being repaired.
The helicopter, which is being refurbished at the Naval Air Station, (NAS), Ojo, will, according to the South African company, PAS, be ready for use in two months.
Explaining why it took the navy all these years to overhaul the helicopter, Vice Admiral Ezeoba said it is very expensive to do a PDM, adding that having weighed the cost of buying a new helicopter, his team decided to grab the bull by the horn.
“Hence, experts were brought into the country from South Africa to work with a team of naval personnel including an Augusta certified resident engineer, to bring the helicopter back to life like a brand new machine.
“The engines, avionics, air frame and instrumentation were completely changed and in a couple of months, the aircraft which has been grounded for seven years will fly again,” he said.
Vice Admiral Ezeoba said he was particular about in-country maintenance because aside being cost effective; it also allows for knowledge transfer, positive development of organic capability and enhances maintenance capacity.
He said: “All the equipment they brought here for the exercise will be domiciled in-country and above all, it is cost effective. No day passes without the navy having at least one ship at sea, which is our core area of responsibility it was not like this in the pass. We have had increased availability of functioning platforms and those that are down we are doing our best in fixing them.
“Some of the minds counter measure vessels have been down for close to 18 years but we are working on them to ensure they are sea worthy. Brass and Yola are equally being worked on. Ekum and Ekpe are also being worked on.
“A lot of these repairs are ongoing as we speak. Aradu is being considered for in-country major refit but with limitation because of cost related issues. The tangibles will continue to be something we cannot readily see at the moment but when we begin to generate capacity and result by way of availability of platforms, I am sure most of these issues of criminality in our waters will be of the past.
“It is important for whatever it is worth that what we do in securing our maritime space is done to the best of our ability, it is a herculean task but given the President’s mandate and support, we have continued to do the needful.
“Be that as it may, we cannot take away the fact that criminality is in human nature and particularly in our environment where we have socioeconomic issues to deal with.
“All the security agencies are adding value to our intelligence gathering techniques so that Nigerians cab have good life and safety of lives and property. But I can assure you that the crime rate in our maritime space have reduced drastically,” Vice Admiral Ezeoba said.
To stop the frequent breakdown of ships’ inbuilt generators, the Navy has installed a Digital Frequency Converter (DFC) to ensure that once ships are along sight, they do not run their organic generators.
The DFC, which converts direct electricity 60 Watts to 50Watts, transfers the converted current to the vessels for enhanced operational capability of the ships.
Also, the Navy has entered into a number of partnerships with both the public and private sectors so as to leverage on areas it lacks capacity.
One of such partnerships was that between the Navy and Oando ybt65r3e2‘ for a 90-day uninterrupted credit supply of petroleum products to the force for readily availability and maintained presence at sea. To achieve this, Vice Admiral Ezeoba said the oil company as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, (CSR) built a 1.2 million litres tank farm for AGO and 45 thousand litres tank farm for PMS at the NNS BEECROFT, while they also built two 90 thousand litres tank farms for AGO and PMS at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island.
“These are the kinds of partnership we should embrace with the private sector for enhanced performance. The way forward for the military in this 21st century is strategic partnership with the private sectors in areas where we lack capacity and they have core competences. What you are seeing here today is a pilot project, as long as we meet our own commitment, more of such partnerships will be replicated in other commands,” he said.
Another milestone achievement of Vice Admiral Ezeoba’s headship was the construction of a water hydrant with a 150 thousand litre capacity overhead tank at the NNS BEECROFT, Apapa.
Prior to the installation of the hydrant, the base had an 80 thousand litre tank, which was shallow and lacked the capacity to pump water. According to BEECROFT Commander, Commodore Chris Ezekobe, it usually took the base between six and eight hours to pump water into the ship and had no treatment plant.
“But the CNS in his wisdom, directed that I should work out the reticulation onboard BEECROFT. I did not know he had grater plans for us. Today, we have a mini water project with a treatment plant and a 150 litres thousand capacity tank.
“With this, we are sure that the NNS BEECROFT will be able to deliver more efficiently. As an operational base, we are tasked with the responsibility of replenishing ships that some into harbour and most of it has to do with pool and fresh waters. With this tank, we are sure we will be able to do the turn around of our ships that come into harbour,’ Ezekobe said.
After inspecting the various projects, Vice Admiral Ezeoba, who expressed satisfaction over the finished products, directed that more blocks of flats be constructed for both Officers and Ratings, while worn-out buildings should be demolished to provide more decent houses for his men.
He also directed that three of the same mini water projects constructed at NNS BEECROFT, be replicated at the Ojo Barracks at strategic points to serve both the old and new buildings, as such, curb the difficulty being faced by the residents as a result of centralisation of water.
