The Nigerian Navy has appealed to Borno State Government to help enlighten residents about the establishment of a Naval base in the Lake Chad Basin to uproot remnants of Boko Haram from the state.
Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Chief of Naval Staff made the appeal during a courtesy visit to Governor Kashim Shettima in Maiduguri on Tuesday.
Ibas said that the enlightenment was necessary considering that the people had little or no knowledge about the navy.
Ibas said: “Just recently, the president approved the establishment of naval presence in the Lake Chad corridor.
‘Of course, the importance of that area is known to all of us here and this is timely because the menace of Boko Haram has been contained.
“Lake Chad is an international (border) with many communities, we cannot operate successfully in the area without the necessary support.
“We wish to solicit your help in communicating to the communities around the area the establishment of the naval base so they can make our job easy.
“Am aware that the people are already used to seeing the army; we want them to see us as their friends like the army too.”
He said that the setting up of a naval base in the area would help to boost the economic recovery of the area.
He said: “Our presence in the area will help contribute to the quick recovery effort of the Federal Government and the state government effort in putting back the place.
“The post conflict recovery effort requires the joint efforts of all the armed forces, the political class and friends of the state to synergise toward achieving the targeted goal.”
Responding, the governor, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Maman Durkwa, thanked the CNS for the visit.
He lauded the military for their successes in the fight against terrorism and appealed to the Federal Government to resume the search for oil in the Lake Chad Basin.
Shettima said: “We are calling on the Federal Government to resume oil search at the Lake Chad Basin now that peace has been restored in the area.
“We believe that the eventual oil exploration in the area will help create jobs and consolidate the gains of the anti-terrorism war.”
Shettima expressed optimism that the search for oil would yield dividends as crude had been discovered on the other side of the lake in Chad Republic.
He said: “Chad and Niger Republic have discovered crude at their own part of the lake, so also is the Republic of Libya.
“We believe that the Nigerian side also contains crude oil in commercial quantity.”
The CNS also visited the Shehu of Borno Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai at his palace to pay courtesy on him.
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