House C’ttee Pledges Full Support for Navy, Recommends Overhaul of Naval Jetties

Chiemelie Ezeobi

The House of Representatives Committee on Navy has pledged full support for the Nigerian Navy (NN), stressing that the committee will ensure they (Navy) get the necessary adequate resources needed to optimum performance.

Chairman of the committee, Abdussamad Dasuki, representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency, Sokoto, made this disclosure yesterday during an on-the-spot assessment of the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC).

The tour began with a brief in Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Quorra auditorium, then a tour of the Falcon Eye centre, the simulation centre, computer training school before heading to the engineering CDIS. Other places visited were the Morse code training centre, the Chinese, French and Arabic classes, the voice training, and the National Open University.

According to Dasuki, the visit was for the committee to have a better understanding of the challenges facing the navy. He said, “NAVTRAC is the engine room of the Navy and we are pledging support for the navy to ensure they get the necessary adequate resources they need.

“The visit was important because we needed to have a buy-in of all the committee members. We have seen for ourselves what they need. In our visit to Port Harcourt, we saw the state of the jetties. They need a total overhaul. With what we have seen, we will ensure its captured in the 2017 budget.”

In response, the Flag Officer Commanding, NAVTRAC, Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed, said the command being the engine room of training in the NN takes its duties seriously.

He said the command has 11 professional schools, with each of these schools having smaller schools under them, where personnel are trained professionally for effective service delivery.

He said, “We are expanding so we still need accommodation and adequate infrastructure for our trainees and our training officers. This is in line with his core derivatives, which is a mandate to train naval personnel professionally, so they can superintend over the waters for a safe sea for navigation and commercial activities.”

According to Mohammed, his core derivative is to churn out quality personnel that would defend Nigeria’s territorial domain to the best of their abilities.

This, he draws from the strategic guidance of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette-Ibas, which is to prepare personnel in professional and educational training.

Those present included Commodore Esther Ogbonnaya, Commodore Unoneme, Captain Livingstone Izu and Hon Emeka Anohu, the representative of Ihiala Federal Constituency.