President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Lagos urged
Nigerians to believe in the capability of the armed forces to safeguard and
bring long-lasting peace and stability to the country.
Declaring open the 12th Nigerian Navy Games, LAGOS 2022, the
President assured Nigerians that the armed forces would continue to sustain
their operational tempo to contain the security challenges in the country.
He said the security agencies would continue to ensure that
all appropriate measures were in place for the safety of Nigerians.
The President also re-emphasized the importance of synergy
between the armed forces, other security agencies, and the general population
for peace and security.
President Buhari, who also commissioned the newly
constructed Nigerian Navy Sports Complex, commended the Chief of the Naval
Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, for investing in sports development.
‘‘Over the years, sports have remained a tool to strengthen
the ties between troops, instilling discipline and readiness to serve a common
cause in the military. I am sure these Games will create a forum for the
Nigerian Navy to achieve these objectives and more.
‘‘The construction of this sports complex has provided a
standard venue for the Nigerian Navy to host major games as well as an
appropriate venue for naval personnel within Lagos to use for training and
other recreational purposes.
‘‘I am therefore confident that besides the conduct of the
Games, the Nigerian Navy and its personnel will continue to make good use of
the facilities in this complex,” he said.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces expressed the
hope that the games would provide the needed platform and avenue for
discovering new talents representing the Navy and Nigeria in international
competitions.
He, therefore, urged all participating athletes to inculcate
fair play and exhibit a high level of decorum during the competition.
‘‘I note that all commands in the Nigerian Navy are
participating in the Games.
‘‘This means that the Nigerian Navy can take stock of the
level of preparedness of its personnel while encouraging the development of
team spirit amongst its personnel.
‘‘The Games should therefore provide a glimpse of what
Nigerians expect from the Nigerian Navy; dedication, commitment, unity, oneness
and comradeship,’’ President Buhari said, assuring that the Federal Government
will continue to encourage sporting activities in view of its importance
towards national cohesiveness and unity.
The President also thanked the Lagos State Government for
supporting the games and cooperating with the military in the state, describing
the goodwill as highly commendable.
In his goodwill message, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of
Lagos described the Nigerian Navy as a strategic partner to the ‘‘coastal State
of Lagos’’ on the security of lives and property.
He thanked the President for approving the establishment of
a new Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Lekki axis, one of the fastest growing
industrial, commercial and residential development areas in West Africa.
‘‘Lekki is also home to the largest deep-sea port in Africa,
which Mr President will commission soon, it is home to the largest private
refinery, among other landmark investments in our country,’’ he said.
The Lagos Governor wished the over 1,800 Naval athletes
participating in the Games success, charging them to display the full spirit of
sportsmanship and fair play in the eight-day competition.
The Chief of Naval Staff pledged that the Navy would sustain
the fight against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes, ensuring that the
country maintains its delisting from nations of high piracy risks.
He expressed delight that Nigeria exited from the
International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy List early in the year and no incidence
of piracy has been recorded in the last one year, adding that this attests to
the Nigerian Navy’s willingness and resilience to ensure a safe and secure
maritime environment for socio-economic activities to thrive.
The Naval Chief also used the occasion to thank the
President for his unquantifiable support to the Nigerian Navy, saying:
‘‘The President within the last year approved the
acquisition of two 76m High Endurance Offshore Patrol Vessels and 3 helicopters
to join the recently acquired hydrographic survey ship and the Landing Ship
Transport, including numerous fast attack craft to boost maritime security
operations.
‘‘Mr President, it is pertinent to state that induction of
Landing Ship Tank, Nigerian Navy Ship KADA into the Fleet has further enhanced
Nigerian Navy’s naval power projection, within the region and beyond.’’
‘‘Significantly, the ship embarked on its first official
trip last month, with military hardware and logistics for the Nigerian
Contingent deployed for ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission at Guinea Bissau.
This further confirms your administration’s commitment towards regional
stability in furtherance of our foreign and defence policy objectives.’’
On the ultra-modern Complex commissioned by the President,
the Naval Chief explained that it is equipped with state-of-the-art indoors
sporting equipment, a world class gymnasium, swimming pool and a standard
football pitch as well as tracks for athletics events.
He recounted that the ultra-modern edifice was
conceptualised and constructed by the immediate past Chief of the Naval Staff,
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd).
According to him, the retired Admiral planned to invite the
President to commission the Complex at the end of 2020; however, the
commissioning could not be actualized due to restrictions imposed by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The Naval Chief noted that contemporary warfare, generally
described as being volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, places a huge
demand on personnel combat readiness and thus necessitates the need to sustain
high levels of physical fitness and mental alertness.
He added that physical fitness and mental alertness of
personnel have become key considerations for armed forces to meet the
increasing demands of the current operations environment of the Nigerian Navy,
which has recorded significant appearances at local and international
competitions.
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