…Navy warns criminals to steer clear of Ile-Ife, environs***
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Friday called for stakeholders’ collective collaboration on security in the Maritime Sector.
Dr Bashir Jamoh, the Director-General of NIMASA, made the call at a one-day Sensitisation workshop organised by the Agency, in collaboration with National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Port Harcourt.
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Jamoh, who was represented by Mr Ceche Osango, the Director, Special Duties in Maritime and Safety, said the workshop was to create a platform for stakeholders in the maritime sector to interact and see how to support each other to provide solutions to security challenges faced in the industry.
According to the director, the collaboration will particularly help stakeholders in the maritime sector to provide safety and security in the industry.
“We believe that collaborating with all the stakeholders, weather military, paramilitary or community, will enhance our resources today and will come up with ideas which we can continuously support each other and be able to deliver the results with our common goal which is to provide security.
“We appreciate the fact that everybody has a role to play hence we are partnering with our sister agencies, NEMA, and SEMA who are working with us to see that this kind of situation is taken care of,” he said.
He stated that piracy on the waterways was one of the challenges that Nigeria fell into the Gulf of Guinea, saying that insecurity affected merchant shipping and needed collaboration and solutions to fight against the challenges.
Similarly, Mr Godwin Tepikor, the State Coordinator for NEMA in Rivers, represented by Mr Damian Egwu, one of the staff members in the state, stated that the call for collaboration was apt as insecurity was becoming a perennial challenge in the country.
Tepiko said that the maritime sector in the country had faced insecurity as it grew over the years in the Gulf of Guinea, which had contributed to the economic sabotage.
He stated that this contributed to the downturn of GDP on oil production from 2 million to 1.2 million barrels due to insecurity.
He called on stakeholders in the state to join hands to fight insecurity, stating that the menace could not be handled by one singular agency or security outfit.
The newsmen report that the stakeholders present were representatives of the Nigerian Airforce, Nigeria Police, Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Road Safety Corps and the Federal Fire Service.
In the meantime, Capt. Aondowase Mnguve, Commandant, Nigerian Navy Centre of Education and Training Technology(NNCETT), Ile-Ife, Osun, on Saturday warned criminals to steer clear of the ancient city and its environs.
Mnguve gave the warning after the route match and operational show of force by the officers and men of NNCETT in Ile-Ife.
The newsmen report that the exercise commenced from the Centre, Kosere area, Ifewara road, Ile-Ife through Ilode market to the roundabout in front of Ooni’s Palace and back to the school.
The Nigerian Navy Centre of Education and Training Technology, Ile-Ife, was previously located in Apapa, Lagos and recently moved to Osun.
“This is a training institution of the Nigerian Navy; the unit here is serving dual purposes of training and operations.
“So, what we have just done today is to show our strength; our state of readiness in town, because being a new unit in town, perhaps the civilian populace might not know that we are even existing.
“Though they might have seen some of our vehicles and motorcycles in the town, thinking that we are from outside.
“We are clearly demonstrating today that we are in Ile-Ife, and we are here to play our role of training and maintaining security in this city and Osun State at large,” he stated.
According to him, the route match and operational show of force are in line with the directive from the headquarters of the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) for all professional schools under the Command.
Mnguve said the existence of the unit in Ile-Ife is to protect the lives and property of citizens of the state.
The commandant, therefore, admonished all and sundry to shun any form of criminality.
He equally warned officers and men of the institution that anyone caught violating the rights of the citizens would be dealt with accordingly.