The Nigerian navy has intensified efforts to ensure safety of the
maritime industry by taking measures to apprehend criminals on the
sea.
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas stated this
while hosting the Nigerian Ship Owners Association in his office in
Abuja.
While urging the ship owners against the use of their vessels for
crude oil theft, he said any suspect caught would be treated saboteurs
who deserved stiff penalties.
The naval chief remarked that, “while acknowledging that the majority
of your member are carrying out legitimate business out there and like
any other society you still have some bad elements that are perhaps
dragging your name back, dragging the reputation back.
“It is in this light that I will appeal to you as executive members of
the association to warn your members who try to undermine the state to
desist from such acts that are inimical to the development of our
nation.”
The naval chief noted that any nation that is blessed with the seas
ought to utilise the benefits for developing its people, thus
stressing the need all the stakeholders to be able to come together to
collaborate to ensure a secured environment for business to strive.
According to him, the association has contributed immensely to the
development of the country, stressing that due to the realisation of
the role the association plays in the development of the nation that
made the meeting apt and relevant.
Earlier in his remarks, the president of the Ship Owners Association,
Capt. Niyi Labinjo (rtd) said that the association has 103 ship owning
companies and 98 non-ship owning companies
Labinnjo said that the association would continue to collaborate with
law enforcement agencies towards curbing the excesses of criminal
elements in the maritime industry.
He stated: “The Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Ship Owners
Association, we are indeed two wings of the same bird, firstly, both
of us operate in the same milieu at sea maritime, secondly, you are
the fighting navy, we are the merchants navy, the merchant navy and
the fighting navy come together for a strong
“Without a fighting navy, for a country that has maritime domain, the
country itself will be over run, without the merchant navy to bring in
those essential goods necessary for both sustenance of lives and
development, the country will also be in trouble, that is why I said
we are two wings of the same bird,” he added.