News
Naval Chief Ogalla Seeks Increased Manpower, Says 30,000 Officers Not Enough Against Oil Theft
Nigeria Navy Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, says increased manpower will boost the efforts to curb oil theft in the country’s maritime space.
The naval chief stated this on Monday as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, as part of events lined up for the celebrations of the 69th anniversary of the Nigerian Navy.
Vice Admiral Ogalla said the entire personnel of the Nigerian Navy at over 30,000 isn’t sufficient to man Nigeria’s coastal maritime area which is one-third of the nation’s landmass.
He quickly added that the naval authorities have increased their annual enlistment of fresh minds to fill the vacuum.
The naval chief said, “It would surprise you to know that the Navy is just about 30 something thousand, and we have a coastal maritime area that is one-third of the nation’s landmass. Just about 30 something thousand in number. So, we are also building on this number, and we are increasing our recruitment, and our enlistment on an annual basis.
“It is an ongoing fight but the most important thing is that we are making tremendous progress.”
Vice Admiral Ogalla said the Nigerian Navy was not where it used to be, saying that it has become a continental force and a global reference.
The naval chief said, “The Nigerian Navy started with very few boats given to us by the Royal Navy but you can see that today, we are the third largest Navy in Africa and our goal is to become the largest Navy in Africa that can contribute effectively to global force projection.
“In terms of infrastructure and platforms, we have grown tremendously. In terms of surveillance and other maritime awareness, we have one of the best maritime awareness capacity in the world, a system that gives us visibility out there at sea.
“Like I always like to caution, every technology and every infrastructure has its limitation and that is why the human element comes into play, and we are not taking this aspect for granted; we are developing our personnel, we are also equipping ourselves.”
Special Court To Try Oil Thieves
He said Nigeria has recorded a drastic reduction in the activities of oil thieves in the last couple of years.
The naval chief noted that curbing oil theft demands a collective approach among the security agencies including the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force, as well as communities around the coastal areas.
Vice Admiral Ogalla also said that aside from kinetic measures, oil theft must also be tackled through non-kinetic means including unemployment, illiteracy, among others.
He added some of the ships used by oil thieves are not owned by Nigerians hence it makes prosecution difficult. He reiterated the need for the establishment of special courts for the swift prosecution of suspects.
“We need special courts to make progress in the prosecution of maritime criminals,” Vice Admiral Ogalla said, adding that a presentation on it has been made to the justice minister Lateef Fagbemi and it is being considered.
Severe Punishment
He pledged that oil theft can be reduced to a level where it does not economically affect Nigeria’s oil revenue.
The naval chief also said officers involved in oil theft have been severely punished under his leadership. He said some of them have had their ranks reduced, and some dismissed. “It’s too risky for any of our men to engage in oil theft,” he warned, sternly.
According to him, the Nigerian Navy has a plan for the surveillance and monitoring of the environment to detect oil saboteurs. He added that the Navy is expanding its infrastructure and increasing its fleet for more sophisticated platforms for quick emergency response,
Vice Admiral Ogalla said to boost the drive for increased capacity to fight oil theft, the Navy launched three ships and three helicopters on Sunday.
Former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has shared an amusing anecdote about the unique injury treatment preferred by his Nigerian ex-teammates, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi.
Iheanacho and Ndidi became integral members of the Foxes squad after joining in 2017, playing a crucial role in the club’s historic 2021 FA Cup victory.
The duo shared a strong bond with Vardy during their time at the King Power Stadium, often engaging in light-hearted banter with their teammates.
Vardy, a Leicester City legend after 13 years with the club, departed last summer for Serie A side Cremonese. Iheanacho and Ndidi have also since moved on from the Foxes.
Speaking on a recent podcast, Vardy recounted how the Super Eagles stars had a peculiar remedy for minor injuries.
He explained that Iheanacho and Ndidi would insist on using a special “juju cream” brought back from Nigeria, refusing any other oils or balms offered by the club’s medical staff.
“They used to get injured, just little knocks, then they’d go back to Nigeria for one day literally, come back, and then they’ve got a nice big tub of juju cream,” Vardy said.
“That was the only thing that the masseuses were allowed to massage on the injured areas. They used to tell us that they used to get it from a Nigerian witch doctor.”
While Vardy’s story adds a humorous, if slightly controversial, layer to the players’ time at the club, the “juju cream” was likely part of a running joke.
Ndidi later clarified on social media that the substance was simply local shea butter, known as ‘ori’ in Nigeria.
Some aspirants loyal to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who failed to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) tickets in the recently concluded National Assembly primaries, have approached the court to challenge the outcome of the exercise.
The aggrieved aspirants are challenging the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the results of the primaries and the list of candidates submitted by the party to the electoral body.
Report quoted sources within the party as saying the aspirants decided to seek judicial redress after expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome of the primaries.
The aspirants have reportedly engaged the services of the law firm of Remi Olatubora, SAN, to challenge the outcome of the exercise, the report also mentioned.
Those involved include Gbenga Elegbeleye (Ondo North Senatorial District), Dr Taiwo Fasoranti (Ondo Central Senatorial District), Leke Akingboye (Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency), Rasaq Obe (Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency), Kayode Ijalana (Owo/Ose Federal Constituency), Oyerinmade Matthew (Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency), and Olumuyiwa Daramola (Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency).
The legal action has reportedly generated concerns among some party stakeholders, who fear it could affect the APC’s preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has slammed the Federal Government over its gifts of houses to judges.
Speaking at the Housing TV Africa on Thursday, Falana demanded the provision of the law that stipulated such a gesture.
He charged the Federal Government to also build houses for university professors and other civil and public servants, noting that what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander.
“”We have got to a stage in the country where we have to challenge the special privileges given to the rich and top public officers in the country.
“I was very sad when I saw that the Federal Government was handing over the keys of houses to judges, and I asked myself, ‘Under what law are we operating?’ Because it’s discriminatory and illegal.
“You treat everyone equally in our country. So you can’t take out judges. Judges are entitled to accommodation by the way. They must live comfortably and we’ll secured.
“But, other citizens must be equally provided for. If you don’t do it, you can be challenged, and that is going to happen very soon because what is good for the goose is good for the gander,” he said.
-
Health & Wellness11 months agoPresident Tinubu Directs Cut in Dialysis Cost from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000
-
News12 months agoPICTURE: In Lagos Couple Sentenced to 22½ Years for Cannabis Trafficking
-
Trending News11 months agoNELFUND Disburses ₦86bn To 449,000 Beneficiaries
-
Business4 months agoDangote Refinery Reduces Petrol Gantry Price To ₦1,200 Per Litre
-
International News4 months agoIndian Police Arrest Nigerian Over ₦290m Drug Haul
-
Business2 years agoHeritage Bank Customers’ Path to Securing ₦5m Insured Funds: A Step-By-Step Guide by NDIC”
-
Business4 months agoAfter Plea Bargain, Court Discharges Stella Oduah of ₦2.5bn Fraud
-
Business2 years ago
Dangote; We Did Not Fix ₦600/Litre Petrol Price