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Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Nigerian Navy has declared it would continue to offer support to the Federal Government in the efforts to curtail the spread of the lethal COVID-19 infection.
Naval formations across the country have assisted the civil authorities in the fight against COVID-19 in the maritime sector by ensuring that vessels that enter the country were properly checked and cleared before they berth in line with the necessary COVID- 19 protocols.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command (CNC), Yenagoa, Rear Admiral Saidu Garba who stated this during the celebration to mark 64 years of Nigerian Navy stated that the command participated actively in ensuring that it keeps to the directives of the President and Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces in the fight against COVID 19 pandemic.
According to him the Nigerian Navy has ensured that the maritime sector was adequately covered in line with the guidelines and safety protocols of the federal government.
His words “We keep to the directives from the President and Commander- in- Chief by properly assisting the civil authority not only in controlling traffic but also in the maritime domain by ensuring that vessels that enter this country are properly cleared before they berth and we ensure that nobody enters the country without proper clearance following the necessary COVID 19 protocol.
“In that respect, apart from our operations out there, the Nigerian Navy has also commissioned isolation center in Lagos where we keep not only our personnel but all those other people that have COVID -19 and are in need of care. I want to assure you that we have participated actively in curtailing the COVID 19 pandemic on our own part.
Garba who recalled that the recent donation of palliatives from all naval formations to host communities across the country as part of its support for the COVID-19 fight however noted that the Nigerian Navy would not abdicate its core mandate to bring to an end oil theft, sea piracy, illegal oil bunkering and other maritime criminal activities.
The FOC commended the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas for rejuvenating the naval fleet and providing an enabling environment for their operations to blossom.
