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CDS Praises Navy Over Fight Against Piracy
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has given the Nigerian Navy pass mark in the fight against maritime criminality in the nation’s maritime domain particularly in the area of tackling sea piracy, expressing joy that in the year 2022 piracy was totally eliminated.
Speaking at the decoration of 28 newly promoted Rear Admirals of the Navy, Irabor also tasked the Navy to ensure that the cankerworm of crude oil theft which was impacting the nation’s revenue negatively was defeated.
“In the year 2023, we want to see the complete elimination of crude oil theft just as the Navy has eliminated the challenges of piracy in our waters. This is in the light of the importance the Nation places on revenue generated from oil”.
Addressing the senior officers, the CDS said, “You should count yourself lucky to earn this higher rank but you deserve it because of your hard work but more hard work is coming.
“You are aware of the complex security challenges confronting the nation. The armed forces remains the institution is looking up to reverse the unpalatable security situation in the country. Thank God we have been able to meet up with our mandate of containing the challenges”.
On his part, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral AwwalGambo, assured that the Navy would continue to strive to counter enemies of the nation’s economic resources, particularly crude oil theft and related crimes.
He warned officers and ratings conniving with pipeline vandals and oil thieves to desist from the act as the Navy under his leadership has zero tolerance for corruption and collusion with criminal elements.
He said, “As expected in every performance-oriented organisation, quality leadership in the Armed Forces is essential for the optimal realisation of its objectives. Notably, in the profession of arms, the optimal employment of men and materiel has direct impact on operations outcomes at theatres of operations and national security. Hence, despite the huge number of annual enlistments into the military, only the most dedicated and loyal rise to the very apex of the profession.
“The year 2022 has witnessed significant disruption in all facets of our national lives with the Armed Forces now more than ever required to play more significant roles to ensure security and prosperity of our dear nation. Consequently, the Nigerian Navy and the nation require you to be more dedicated and display unalloyed loyalty to the President, C-in-C in order to address the security challenges confronting our dear nation.
“Your ingenuity, resourcefulness and integrity will be required as very senior officers to reposition the service in order to discharge its constitutional mandate for the security and economic prosperity of our great nation.
“The Navy in collaboration with other security agencies have continuously strived to protect the economic mainstay of the country through various operations to counter illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft. While there are significant achievements, which must be sustained, there are pockets of personnel still colluding with criminals to sabotage these efforts.
“Let me, therefore, warn that any act of collusion with criminals or sabotage of measures emplaced to checkmate illegalities will be met with stiff sanctions in accordance with the law.
“Note that as leaders of the service, you are expected to be above board and ensure that your subordinates equally buy into the zero-tolerance stance of the Nigerian Navy against all forms of illegalities and criminalities at sea and ashore”.
While acknowledging the enormous support availed the service by Federal Government, Gambo said, “Such encouragement has bolstered gains in critical areas like fleet renewal, infrastructural and manpower developments, which have impacted positively on operations and the nation’s strategic posture at sea.
“I, therefore, avail myself this opportunity to reaffirm the loyalty of the entire officers, ratings and staff of the Nigerian Navy to Mr President, C-in-C, President MuhammaduBuhari, for his unrelenting support, which has enabled the Nigerian Navy to deliver a safe, secure and stable maritime environment for the prosperity of Nigeria”.
To the new Rear Admirals, he said, “While it takes hard work to reach such a glorious height, it takes even harder work to remain there. The armed forces and the Nigerian Navy, in particular,requires you to be more dedicated to addressing the security challenges facing our country”.
The officers shipped with their stripes include Rear Admiral Clement Atebi, Rear Admiral KasimuBushi, Rear Admiral FataiSanusi, Rear Admiral GS Abubakar, Rear Admiral Abraham Zipele, Rear Admiral James Okosun, Rear Admiral AbiodunBankole, Rear Admiral OluwoleFadeyi, Rear Admiral FederickDamtong and Rear Admiral Julius Nwagu.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.