Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy says the command is keeping track of all vessels coming into the country in order to contain the dreaded novel Coronavirus pandemic.
The Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral David Adeniran, who disclosed when the Senate Committee on Navy lead by Senator George Sekibo, paid him a courtesy call while on a tour of facilities in Calabar, said the command have deployed some equipment including the Falcon Eye and the RMAC to monitor all inbound vessels.
Adeniran said the command has also stepped up its Coronavirus surveillance at all entry points within the Eastern Naval Command.
He said: “In terms of entry, the moment we have any information that any ship is coming into Nigeria, we keep track of that vessel and we immediately deploy the Falcon Eye and the RMAC to track the movement of the vessel.
“We have tracked vessels for the past 30 days and know which waters they have been to and from there we monitor and direct accordingly.
“Of course, the Navy has the means to reach out to stop the vessel and know where they are coming from. “With that, we are able to advise the port management or the onshore oil facilities accordingly”, he said.
According to him, “Navy did it during the Ebola Virus episode, so the Navy Reference Hospital in Calabar has taken appropriate steps to ensure that the COVID-19 menace is properly handled at least in its environment.
He added that the decision of the Navy authorities to raise its alert level is consistent with the directive of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ekwe Ibas, who at the onset of the pandemic gave an instruction that the command should ensure maximum compliance with health and safety procedures to check the menace.
The Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command also used the occasion to commend the Senate Committee on Navy for their commitment to infrastructural development within the maritime sector through budgetary allocation.
According to him, the development would not be possible without the support of the national assembly, adding that all hands must be on deck to move the country forward.
Earlier, the Chairman Senate Committee on Navy, George Sekibo, said the upper legislative body will review budgetary allocation of the Nigerian Navy to enable them to secure the nation’s waterways adequately.
Sekibo said: “We have seen some improvements especially in your efforts to put an end to illegal refinery operations. Though we have seen these things, it is important that we embark on this tour so as to engage with you.
“We will take your requests for more budgetary allocation home with a view to reviewing them. Ours is to stand by you and ensure the provision of the things you need for your work,” he said.