Sir Walter Raleigh, a 15th century English soldier and spy, said whoever commands the sea, commands the trade; whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself. This is the noble work the navy does all over the world. Ocean and sea routes have been the most frequently used trade routes from time immemorial for international trade and to some extent travels. This has attracted pirates and criminal elements who exploited and disrupted trade and commerce for their personal and selfish gains.
Nigeria has a long coast line long miles of inland waterways that serve to facilitate local and international trade. These routes are important to the Nigerian oil trade as well as for fishing and food supply. However, they subject to constant attacks by pirates and hijackers who constantly terrorize and disrupt shipments, taking hostages ship captains and crew. Before now their activities did not just impede trade but also discouraged foreign investments in the Nigerian shipping and water transport business as they were more equipped and organised than the Nigerian Navy. The operated in broad daylight and wantonly engaged in crude oil theft and outright theft on the high sea. These barbaric acts are not just history within the Nigerian maritime space but were never heard of in years to come thanks to the efficacious strides of the present Nigeria Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo.
Less than one year after his assumption of office and for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the Nigerian Navy has commenced the manufacture of high precision gunboats to be used in patrolling Nigeria’s waterways. Recently, 4 GRP Semi Ballistic Gunboats were manufactured in the Nigerian Naval Shipyard Limited Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Similar wonderful inventions are cooking in several other shipyards across the country. Although several attempts were made in the past to attain this milestone, none was successful until Vice Admiral Awwal took over as Chief of Naval Staff. This will supplement the old and malfunctioning gunboats that were previously used by the Navy thereby strengthening their hold on the nation’s waterways. To say that he is determined the change the fortunes of the Nigerian Navy with his purposeful leadership is an understatement.
While gunboats are vital for patrols and security, every Navy takes pride in the number and sophistry of its warships. This was an area of weakness for the Nigerian Navy with just few warships and limited capabilities. The Chief of Naval Staff has however vowed to end this embarrassing situation. As soon as he was sworn into office, he awarded contracts to the best ship builders across the globe to deliver world class warships with very advanced war capabilities to the Nigerian Navy. Dozens of warships are billed to arrive Nigeria and join the burgeoning naval fleet. This a welcomed development and a sign of more good things to come. The Nigerian Navy is similarly in the process of acquiring Torpedoes, Destroyers and many other hard wares that will not only place it amongst the top Navies around the world but will ensure that Nigerian territorial waters are never threatened. This is good news for an administration that is less than one year in office.
Through their flagship university, the Nigerian Maritime University, the Nigerian Navy has demonstrated its commitment to manpower development and professionalism. Having the Chief of Naval Staff who was once in charge of manpower development is not a mistake. Within this short period, the Nigerian Navy has sent several officers and men to both global and local trainings aimed at strengthening productivity and enhancing the quality of operations all over the country. Workshops and seminars have become an almost every day occurrence all in a bid to reposition the Navy towards efficient service delivery and professionalism. The successes recorded in the nation’s fight against piracy and oil bunkering are testimonies to the good work of the Chief Naval Staff.
For instance, barely one year in office, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), an independent maritime security publication in their Global Piracy Report from January to July confirmed that piracy has drastically dropped in the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria, the lowest in 17 years. This can only be the work of a seasoned professional and dedicated gentleman holding the reigns. Similarly, the Nigerian Navy recently intercepted 32 kilograms of pure cocaine shipment from Brazil with the help of credible intelligence from Interpol. This goes without saying that our waterways are not only free from criminal elements but that the Nigerian Navy is versatile and capable of responding to any threat to Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
Oil production was almost grounded to a halt as production facilities were always attacked and expatriate workers taken as hostages for ransom demands. This continued for a long time with no hope in sight until Vice Admiral Awwal, himself an expert in underwater warfare took over. The tides have turned and the rascals who made the waterways ungovernable are all eliminated. Not only has Nigeria’s crude oil output quadrupled, it has also surpassed the total output ever recorded since the return of democracy in Nigeria. Prior to this golden era in the history of the Nigerian maritime safety, whole ships went missing with tons of crude without any trace. It was a crazy situation that deserves no place in the nation’s history. Sad as this was, it happened and an ill equipped Navy was incapable of putting a stop to it. With Admiral Awwal Zubairu and the new capabilities of the Navy, Nigerians won’t have to worry about that gloomy part of our history anymore. A new dawn has come and will be sustained for decades if not centuries to come. The professionalism being injected into the Navy by Admiral Awwal is enough to sustain this tempo.
Recently the Nigerian Navy returned the Lake Chad Naval Base to Baga, a move hailed by the governor of Borno State and all stakeholders in the security situation in the northeast as timely and commendable. Similar attempts are being made to establish another Naval Base in Kano, a move many are erroneously condemning. What they don’t know is that there are strategic and tactical reasons for such moves. For those who do not know, there is a Nigerian Navy School of Armament Technology in Kachia, Kaduna State, far away from the coast. To say the Navy has no business in the hinterlands is to say the Air Force has not business maintaining law and order on land. This line of thought is misleading and must not be used to cause confusion in the minds of Nigerians.
As an accomplished naval officer and administrator, Vice Admiral Awwal is well aware that providing the right hardwares and training is not enough to boost morale of officers and men of his command. He had therefore gone beyond what is conventional to ensure that staff welfare and incentives are reintroduced back into the system. Not only are salaries paid as at when due, several allowances that were suspended have been revived and new one included. Officers and men of the Nigerian Navy who are stationed in different troubled spots across the country are also enjoying special welfare packages that were never there before. Promotions that were pending for years have been effected with arrears to keep the moral of officers and men of the Nigerian Navy high.
The Nigerian Navy needs support and encouragement especially now that they are doing marvelously well and placing Nigeria on the map of top Naval commands across the globe. The quiet from critics and naysayers is an eloquent testimony to the good work the Naval Chief is doing. The task of securing Nigeria’s waterways cannot be left in the hands of the Navy alone. All hands should be on the deck to make this a success and forestall further break down of law and order as well as the disruption of Nigeria’s international trade and maritime investments.Reverend Semaka writes from Abuja.
