The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, has called on the newly promoted naval senior officers to intensify efforts towards curbing oil theft and other maritime crimes in the country.
Ogalla reminded them that besides engagement in the maritime environment, the Navy was also involved in counter-terrorism operations in the North-East and North-West, urging them to give their best to rid the country of criminality.
Ogalla gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja during the decoration ceremony of the promoted officers.
The six officers were decorated with the rank of Commodore, four with Captain rank, and 16 with Commander rank.
Ogalla, who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Rear Admiral Joseph Akpan, urged the officers not to take their promotions for granted.
He said, “As I mentioned, at this auspicious time in the history of our country, there is an intense requirement and desire to reduce maritime crimes that are perpetrated in our maritime environment. These include piracy, robbery at sea, and of course the issue of crude oil theft and illegal refining sites, pipeline vandalism, and all sorts of crimes that we encounter there.”
He said given these security threats, “we follow this age-long tradition of formally decorating the successful senior officers at each of the promotion boards.
“These officers have emerged successful out of several others of their colleagues and it is a testament to their dedication, diligence, and loyalty.
“You are now in a new phase in your career, and it is a demand for commitment, responsibility, and output in the service of our nation, especially at the auspicious moment in the history of our country.”
