By Philip Nwosu and Vivian Onyebukwa
The Ministry of Defence has said that the facilities at the Naval Dockyard Limited in Lagos would go a long way to enhance the Federal government drive towards repositioning the nation’s maritime section.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence Musa Itsifanus who stated this during an assessment of facilities at the Naval Dockyard Limited alongside the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, expressed satisfaction with facilities at the Dockyard and commended their efforts at maintaining Nigerian Navy ships and that of other larger maritime community including the oil and gas industry.
Also the Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo said the Navy the Landing ship Tank (LST) which the Nigerian Navy launched on Monday in Dubai has the capacity when deployed, for military operations to convey tanks and troops for the Nigerian Armed forces to theatre of operations.
Vice Admiral Gambo said it could also be used to render medical support to countries faced with natural disaster.
The Chief of Naval Staff who was in the company of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Musa Itsifanus during the visit, expressed desire of the Federal Government to reactivate the landing ship tank for full capacity.
Speaking after the on the spot facility tour of the Naval Dockyard, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, said facilities at the Naval Dockyard would go a long way to enhance the Federal government drive towards repositioning the nation’s maritime section.
Itsifanus said with the modernization of the Dockyard, the ministry would do all it could to assist the Navy to actualize its goal.
Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard Ltd, Rear Admiral Kohath Levi, while briefing the Permanent Secretary on the activities of the NDL, mentioned some of the achievements of NDL which include, repair of several NN vessels, improvement on existing infrastructure, construction of SDBs, and several RPBs for the NN.
He also stated that the Yard has made it’s mark in the areas of construction, and fabricating for civil populace such as construction of patrol boats for ministry of Agriculture.
“Other areas of achievement made by the Yard include capacity building in the area of local fabric fabrications and creation of gainful employment and training of manpower. The Naval Dockyard also recorded a mile stone with the successful design and construction of a seaward defence boat NNS ANDONI and NNS KARADUWA”, Levi said.
He, however noted that the yard in it’s present state and with little re-jigging with the planned arrangement between the NN and NDL, can still do more in areas of productivity and efficiency in service delivery.