By Chukwudi Nweje
Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, has clarified the controversy generated by locating a naval base in Kano State.
He said the Navy would also establish a Forward Operating base in Oguta Lake to combat increasing activities of IPOB and the ESN as well as sabotage of our oil and gas activities.
Gambo, who spoke during the Open Ears Conference said the base was established to enhance naval operations following growth and development imperatives, even as the base is not the first to be located in a landlocked location. He also dismissed insinuations that Kano was chosen for the base because it is his home state.
“For clarity, what the Nigerian Navy established in Kano State is a Logistics College. The Nigerian Navy has a Finance and Logistics College that is located in Owerri-Nta, between Aba and Owerri.
“This college is responsible for training personnel both in the area of logistics and finance. But due to the growth and development imperatives, it was considered that the colleges should be separated and the Logistics College is now moved to Kano, while the Finance college remains in Owerri-Nta. Before now, Owerri-Nta was not the only landlocked establishment with a naval establishment. We also had a Provost and Regulating School in Makurdi we trained personnel in the area of Naval Provost duties. The base will also offer support to naval operations already ongoing in the North. The operations are currently being supported from locations farther down south, from Lokoja, Abuja and sometimes from Lagos. With a base where some logistics and materials required for sustaining operations could be stored, operations in the North East and North West and other areas in the North Central will be greatly enhanced.”
He noted that the base in Kano would optimise the efficiency of the Navy in operations in the North East, the North West and the North Central as naval personnel are active in Northern Nigeria participating in the war against terrorism.
“Long before Kano, for about 10 years we have been in the North East and the North West, we have been there in the North Central and we have been there in the Plateau. The Nigerian Navy is actively involved in the anti-terrorism and internal security operations across the North. In the North East where we have the Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai the Navy has over 170 personnel fighting alongside the army and the Air Force to combat the threats we face. Equally, in the North West where we have the Joint Task Force North West Operation Hadarin Daji the Navy has over 250 personnel fighting to counter banditry and all the other issues of insecurity there. In North Central, we have about 100 men working alongside the police to combat banditry, kidnapping and all other issues of insecurity there. In Operation Safe Corridor, the outfit responsible for surrendered terrorists and bandits that are working alongside other government agencies represented there, the Navy has about 15 personnel. We also have our presence in Operation Safe Haven, the operation going on in the Plateau and southern Kaduna to combat issues relating to herders and farmers clashes.”