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By Philip Nwosu
Former Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo has said the Nigerian Navy today is stronger and better positioned now than ever to discharge its constitutional roles for Nigeria’s national security and economic prosperity.
The immediate past Chief of Naval Staff, said the Nigerian Navy made significant improvement in operations, logistics, manpower development and personnel welfare, under his watch.
Admiral Gambo spoke during the pulling-out ceremony organised in his honour by the force, insisting that irrespective of what people were saying, “we recorded great achievements in anti-crude oil theft, anti-piracy and counter-insurgency operations as well as fleet renewal and massive infrastructural development among others.”
He commended the officers, ratings and civilian staff of the force for their loyalty and dedication, adding that it was their loyalty and dedication that assisted him to achieve so much.
While explaining his ability to achieve successes within a short period, the former Navy Chief explained that, “upon my appointment as the CNS about two and a half years ago, I had a vision which is ‘to leverage all factors of national location, technology, training, teamwork and synergy to re-energise the Nigerian Navy and enhance its as a well-motivated and ready naval force in the discharge of its constitutional mandate and other assigned tasks in fulfillmen of national security objectives.”
He noted that also derived from this vision was his mission, which was “to optimise deployment of the Nigerian Navy in performance of its constitutional roles and undertaking of assigned tasks while promptly responding with commensurate actions to other emerging national security challenges.”
Sunday Sun learnt that under his watch, the Nigerian Navy arrested numerous vessels attempting to load crude oil and liquefied natural gas without authorisation within Nigeria’s maritime environment which is in violation of other maritime laws.
It was also learnt that the Nigerian Navy arrested MV CHAYANEE NAREE and MV KARTERIA in October for smuggling about 32.9kg and 13.6k.g of substance suspected to be Cocaine.
Under Vice Admiral Gambo›s leadership, the Nigerian Navy intensified efforts at combating maritime threats such as piracy, oil theft, and illegal fishing within Nigeria’s territorial waters.
Recognising the importance of regional cooperation, he played a pivotal role in strengthening partnerships with neighbouring countries and international maritime organisations to foster information sharing, intelligence gathering, and joint operations.
It was further learnt that Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo’s tenure as the Chief of Naval Staff left a mark on the Nigerian Navy.
His leadership and strategic acumen also paved the way for further advancements and operational effectiveness within the naval force. Under his guidance, the Nigerian Navy strengthened its maritime domain awareness, enhanced patrol capabilities, and improved interagency coordination.
