ABUJA – The Senate has called on the Presidency to take over the Nigerian Navy Ship ‘ARADU’ as a Presidential asset and resuscitate it for national security, safety and Pride.
This follows a motion for urgent intervention by the federal government, raised by Senator George Thompson Sekibo representing Rivers East who noted that NNS ARADU, an all purpose fighting ship which was once a pride of the nation currently lies in a deplorable state.
According to the Senate, Nigeria has no flagship on her seas today that refitting NNS ARADU may require over $200 million dollars (N82 billion) at current exchange rate, while replacing it will cost more than $700 million (N-287, 000, 000, 000.00).
The Senate further stated that the re-fitting and refurbishing of NNS ARADU will allow it carry out its onerous role in servicing Nigeria’s maritime.
Senator Sekibo urged the Senate to convoke a roundtable of all stakeholders such as the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigerian Customs Service and the Nigerian Immigration Services with a view of fashioning out a funding regime to facilitate the refitting and refurbishing of NNS ARADU to carry out its onerous role in servicing Nigeria’s maritime domain.
NNS Aradu (F89) (meaning “thunder” in Hausa) is a Nigerian frigate. She is the first of the MEKO 360 general purpose frigates built by the German Blohm + Voss company of Hamburg. The 125.6-metre (412 ft 1 in) ship is the largest in the Nigerian Navy. As a general purpose frigate, Aradu has capabilities for anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare effectively, and participated in the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Trafalgar.
The ship also possesses capability for naval fire support and electronic warfare. Additionally, she carries a ship-borne helicopter for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and enhanced surveillance/detection.
