The Nigerian Navy has debunked claims that former Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, bought seven Norwegian battleships supposedly for policing of Nigerian waterways.
Naval Chief of Training and Operations Austine Oyagha said yesterday in Abuja that no individual has acquired gunboats into this country noting that the gunboats being alluded to actually belong to NIMASA (Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency), and these boats are currently being manned by the Personnel of the Nigerian Navy.
He said, “As you may be aware the NN has collaboration with NIMASA” with the attending maritime components “to support them in executing their statutory responsibilities in ensuring the safety of the maritime space and anchorage.”
Although the Naval authorities did not clarify if the boats were acquired within the last two years, Oyagha confirmed, however, that the collaboration with NIMASA is more than three years, in the course of which such gunships have been acquired, but can only be equipped with the said weapons with the consent of the Navy.
Tompolo was reported to have said “that these boats in question have been in the care of NIMASA for about two years now. For the avoidance of doubts, the boats are not warships or gunboats as being erroneously spread by mischief-makers. The boats as acquired are neither equipped with war arsenals nor are they ammunition carriers. They are simply boats equipped with modern surveillance devices to track oil thieves and in the process, increase the nation’s revenue base through NIMASA”.
Director General of NIMASA Patrick Akpobolokemi had said simple decommissioned vessels procured by NIMASA through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement were being used by the Nigerian Navy with whom the agency has a working agreement.
Meanwhile, Chiefs of Naval Staff from the ECOWAS Maritime Zone E states yesterday finalized arrangements for combating transnational maritime criminality in the sub-region from January 2015.
The adopted ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy by the 44th ordinary session of the authority of heads of states and government in March 2014 has structured the sub-region into zones E, F and G.
The zone E states comprise Benin, Niger, Nigeria and Togo.
Speaking at the opening session of the chiefs of naval staff and head of gendarmarie of ECOWAS
Maritime Pilot Zone E meeting held in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff, Vice
Admiral Usman Jibrin, said the forum was meant to finalize operational plans and resource commitments.
The meeting also had in attendance the chiefs of naval staff of Ghana and Cameroon who participated as observers, while the Nigeria’s Chief Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and Inspector-General of Police sent their representatives.
According to Jibrin, the 34th ordinary session of the ECOWAS committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff held in Accra, Ghana in September 2014 mandated Nigeria to host the Zone E chiefs of navy and head of gendarmarie meeting preparatory to the operational plan in January 2015.
Jibrin said, “Apparently, this decision was informed by the important role such forum of institutional heads is expected to play to attain desired collaboration and coordination mechanism in tackling transnational maritime criminality in the zone.