Connect with us

Nigeria

Navy Seeks Special Intervention Fund to Establish More Jetties

Published

3 years ago

on

The Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy has solicited a special intervention fund from the House of Representatives with a view to establishing more jetties within the Command’s area of responsibility.

Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Adm. Sanusi Ibrahim, made the appeal on Monday in Calabar when the House of Representatives Committee on Navy visited the command on an oversight function.

Ibrahim said that the Command was faced with the challenges of insufficient platforms, inadequate jetties, and litigations emanating from arrested vessels.

According to him, some of the bases in the command still lack some requisite boats for operations.

“For example, the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory and Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee lacks boats to enable them to conduct maritime patrols for their respective sea area of operations.

“Similarly, the Command does not have a dedicated tug boat for maneuvering its ship at the terminal in Onne port.

“In view of the foregoing, the Command is passionately requesting the House Committee on Navy to consider a special intervention fund for the Nigerian Navy to procure seaward defence boats and tug boats for use.

“This will further enhance the commands offshore patrol, especially around the Cameroon borders,” he said.

He added that some jetties in the command have become dilapidated and requires various level of rehabilitation, while some bases lack jetties.

While enumerating his achievements from Jan. 2021 till date, the FOC said that the Command’s rigorous patrol and clearance operations resulted in the arrest of 34 suspects and nine vessels, recovery of 48 pumping machines and destruction of about 52 large wooden boats.

“The command is not relenting in its effort towards curbing illegal refinery and bunkering within its area of responsibility.

“Since Jan. 2021, the command anti-illegal bunkering and illegal refinery operations have led to the deactivation of 68 illegal refineries and seizure of about 12,989 metric tons of illegally refined diesel.

“The Command anti-crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism operations are ongoing to sustain vigilance on pipeline infrastructure; this has sustained revenue generation to the national economy as evident in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation third-quarter financial report.

“The anti-smuggling efforts of the command has also led to the seizure of 1,603 50kg bags of parboiled smuggled rice worth about N48.9million,” he said.

He added that the Command’s anti-piracy effort during the period under review led to a drastic reduction of sea pirates, criminals, and other militant groups in the Command’s area of operation.

The FOC also said that the Command was also offering free medical services to host communities in the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar.

Responding after a tour of some facilities within the Command in Calabar, the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Navy, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, said that the concerns from the Nigerian Navy were genuine.

Gadgi said that the committee was in Calabar to conduct an oversight function and to evaluate what the Navy has been doing with ‘taxpayers money”.

“This visit is also to help us know what should be appropriated to the Navy in the 2022 budget. Based on what we have seen on ground, the concerns raised by the FOC are genuine.

“We are going to make sure that the Navy gets the required jetties they deserve. The Nigerian Navy has done exceedingly well in terms of project execution and I must commend them,” he said.

He told the FOC that the Armed Forces Review Act which has passed through second reading in the House has a section that empowers the Navy to arrest and prosecute vessels conveying illegal products accordingly.

 

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

News

Nigerian officials probe plan to marry off scores of female orphans

Published

21 hours ago

on

May 15, 2024

By

ABUJA, NIGERIA — Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Women Affairs says it is investigating a plan by a lawmaker in central Niger state to marry off some 100 female orphans of unknown ages later this month.

Speaker of the Niger State Assembly Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji announced the mass wedding last week but called off the ceremony following widespread outrage.

Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned the plans.

Kennedy-Ohanenye said she had petitioned the police and filed a lawsuit to stop the marriages pending an investigation to ascertain the age of the orphans and whether they consented to the marriages.

“This is totally unacceptable by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and by the government” of Nigeria, she said.

Last week, Sarkin-Daji announced his support for the mass wedding of the orphans, whose relatives were killed during attacks by armed bandits. He said it was part of his support to his constituents following an appeal for wedding funding by local traditional and religious leaders.

The mass wedding had been scheduled for May 24.

“That support I intend to give for the marriage of those orphans, I’m withdrawing it,” he said. “The parents can have the support [money], if they wish, let them go ahead and marry them off. As it is right now, I’m not threatened by the action of the minister.”

Despite national laws prohibiting it, forced or arranged marriage is a common phenomenon in Nigeria, especially among rural communities in the predominantly Muslim north, where religious and cultural norms such as polygamy favor the practice.

Poor families often use forced marriage to ease financial pressure, and the European Union Agency for Asylum says girls who refuse could face repercussions such as neglect, ostracism, physical assault and rape.

Raquel Kasham Daniel escaped being married off as a teenager when her father died and now runs a nonprofit helping children, especially less-privileged girls, get a formal education for free.

She said the ability of women to avoid forced marriage in Nigeria depends on their income and education.

“I was 16 when I lost my dad and I was almost married off, but then I ran away from home. And that gave me the opportunity to complete my education, and now I have a better life,” Daniel said.

“So, the reason why I prioritize education is to make sure that other girls have access to quality schooling so that it will help them make informed decisions about their lives. Education not only increases our awareness as girls about our rights but also enhances our prospects for higher income earning,” she said.

Thirty percent of girls in Nigeria are married before they turn 18, according to Girls Not Brides, a global network of more than 1,400 civil society groups working to end child marriage.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

News

Shell investigates smoke near Gbaran oil facility in Nigeria

Published

21 hours ago

on

May 15, 2024

By

YENAGOA, Nigeria, May 14 (Reuters) – Oil major Shell is investigating reports of smoke early Tuesday near its Gbaran Ubie oil and gas facility in Nigeria’s coastal Bayelsa state, a spokesperson said after residents reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke near the area.
The incident would not immediately lead to an operational shut-in, the Shell spokesperson said.
A fire was reported around 0600 GMT by residents in the nearby community, who said blasts were heard where pipeline repair works had been ongoing.
The Gbaran facility, which began operations in 2010, is by far the most important Nigeria LNG gas feedstock project, processing almost 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
“We are actively monitoring reports of smoke detected near our Gbaran Central Processing Facility in Bayelsa State. While the source appears to be external to our facility, we are in close communication with regulatory authorities to look into the incident and ensure the safety of the surrounding communities,” a Shell spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Shell did not immediately respond to the accounts of residents in the area.
Resident Ovie Ogbuku told Reuters: “At about 7 a.m. I heard the sound so deafeningly and it shook the foundation of the earth and we ran for our dear lives. The result is the thick smoke you are seeing now.”
Another resident Uche Ede said; “We have no idea of the cause of the explosion but we are grateful no life was lost because it was far away from homes.”
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Land operations in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta are prone to sabotage, theft, and pipeline vandalism, forcing oil majors to exit such fields to focus on deepwater drilling.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Nigeria tour: A Round Up

Published

21 hours ago

on

May 15, 2024

By

Meghan and Harry spent three days in the African country, Nigeria in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent time in Nigeria as part of a three-day tour, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of The Invictus Games.

The couple were personally invited on the trip by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, General Christopher Musa; they are not there in any official capacity on behalf of the royal family or the UK. The tour schedule, which started in the bustling capital of Abuja, has been jam-packed, including a visit to primary and secondary school Lightway Academy, where they met with students, and experiencing the work of Nigeria Unconquered, a charitable foundation dedicated to aiding wounded, injured, or sick servicemembers.

Naturally, the trip also provided the opportunity for Meghan to showcase a multi-day “tourdrobe”, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the couple stepped down as senior working royals in early 2020 – and she hasn’t disappointed, in a series of summery maxi dresses, elegant tailoring and striking separates.

See highlights from their trip so far, below.

On day three, the couple arrived at Lagos airport, where they were given an official state welcome.

The couple posed for a photo with children and Nigerian dignitaries.

 

The couple were greeted by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

 

nigeria britain royals invictus games

They then attended a basketball exhibition training match at Ilupeju Grammar School in Lagos. After the match, they posed for a photo with the Toronto Raptors basketball team president, Masai Ujiri, and the principal of Ilupeju Grammar School, Josephine Egunyomi.

 

The couple attended a reception hosted by the charity organisation Nigeria Unconquered, held at the Officers’ Mess in Abuja.

 

A visit to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Trending