Warri – A group under the aegis of Ohaneze Think Tank, has called on the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, to allow the three Federal Government contractors handling the surveillance of the nation’s waterways and crude oil pipelines to do their job unhindered so as to bring the desired results of combating oil theft in the country.
The group, which expressed dissatisfaction at the tactics of the CNS, called on him to change his style to boost Nigerians’ confidence in his appointment.
In a release signed by its coordinator, Dr. Azubuike Ajuluchukwu, and Dr. Cletus Akunyili, deputy coordinator, which was made available to the press in Warri, the Ohaneze Think Tank said the appointment of Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla as the CNS has not brought the expected improvements and anticipated change in the psyche of the Nigerian Navy.
“The same old story of wanton irresponsibility and lack of dedication to duty by men of the Navy still subsists.
“The Navy you lead today carries the same old burden, which held down the nation.
“Rather than support the efforts of the three security companies contracted by the federal government to keep surveillance over oil facilities, the Navy is said to be hell bent in creating impediment in their paths, just to tarnish their reputation and have their contracts revoked.
“The companies, Tantita Security Services Limited ( TSSL) and Pipelines Infrastructures Limited under the supervision of Inter–Atlas Synergy, have all cried out over naval sabotage of their operations in the nation’s waters.
“The government appears inept to clip the wings of the elements in the Navy responsible for the errant nonsense.
“While the Nigerian Army, the Airforce and other security agencies have abided with the directive to work alongside the private security firms, the Navy has remained adamant. And it has consistently put spanners in their works.
“This goes against the grains of national interest, to which the Navy owes absolute allegiance.
“The interpretation obtained from the Navy’s resistance and stubbornness is found in its ego.
“The directives to civil bodies to complement its assignments seem to eat away at its bloated ego.
“If from the outset, the Navy had performed its role credibly well, alternatives won’t have been sought by the federal government.
“The Navy must pay the price for negligence on duty. It must accept to work side by side with the civil security firms.
“The contracting of the civil organizations brought improvement in crude production.
“As of today, production has gone up from a paltry 650,000 barrels per day to about 1.7 million barrels per day.
“If the Navy’s resistance is removed, production could climb to over 2.0 million barrels per day, as it was in 2015.
“And government would no longer look for loans to support her activities,” the group noted.
The group, therefore, urged the Nigerian Navy to purge itself of unfounded anger and work with the private security outfits to enhance production.
It called on “Nigerians of goodwill to intervene and prevail on the Navy to support the Federal Government’s decision to incorporate civil security organizations to assist in securing oil facilities across Niger Delta.”
