CNS Visits Cross River, Pledges Improvement In Nigeria’s Maritime Security

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Dele Ezeoba, has given an assurance of improved security in the maritime sector.
Ezeoba  gave the assurance  when he  inspected naval facilities and addressed personnel at the Eastern Naval Command in Calabar.
He said the visit was to identify critical areas of need for the command that would help to address the fundamental problems of insecurity on Nigerian waters.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Dele Ezeoba, has given an assurance of improved security in the maritime sector.
Ezeoba  gave the assurance  when he  inspected naval facilities and addressed personnel at the Eastern Naval Command in Calabar.
He said the visit was to identify critical areas of need for the command that would help to address the fundamental problems of insecurity on Nigerian waters.
“From what we have seen so far, I am satisfied at the level of maintenance of infrastructures and we have been able to identify some gaps in our operational capabilities.
“These are those areas that we need to address to actualise Mr President’s mandate to curb crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and piracy.
“What is important is to identify the gaps and those gaps would be very germane to our ability to actualise the president’s mandate.
“At the conclusion of this exercise we will determine what we need and put them forward to develop an overall capability that will allow us to achieve those mandates.
“This exercise has been conducted in the Western Naval Command and we have captured what we need to do.
“Moving forward, our core area of focus would be to operationalise the entire Nigerian Navy within the context of our capabilities, given the challenges that we have.
“The operational readiness of ships, helicopters and other boats that we have will form the main plank of our operational concept to contain these illegalities in our waters.
He said the Cross River state  Government in collaboration with the Nigeria armed forces had put structures in place to address security concerns in the buffer zone in Nigeria’s maritime border with Cameroon.
Ezeoba, however, noted that adequate security had yet to be actualised in the area.
“The Green Tree Agreement provides for a mutual joint security outfit between Nigeria and Cameroon on this maritime space but that has not been actualised in the maritime axis.
“We have some semblance of partnership up north within the land borders, particularly around Bakassi and Qua River, to enhance the provisions of the Green Tree Agreement.
 “I hope that government is working assiduously to ensure that is in place so that we can douse tension in that area,’’ Ezeoba said.