Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has urged the Nigerian Navy to be ruthless against all forms of economic sabotage, especially crude oil theft.
Fubara gave the charge when he hosted the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Thursday, April 25.
“We are working together, we will give you all the support to make sure that you deliver on your mandate. And what is the mandate? You were appointed at a time when our country is facing a lot of crises, and your duty, among others, include to reduce, if it cannot be eliminated completely, the criminalities perpetrated on the waterways; oil theft and others,” Fubara said.
“And I am happy there are positive and commendable records of achievement so far, in the course of your tenure.
“The success of the Navy in our state, in the areas of oil theft, is because the state government has given you all the necessary support. We have collaborated with the command here. We supported them morally, and with all the necessary logistics.
“We have also maintained good relationship with the communities to make sure that whatever it is that is required for these operations to be successful were granted. I am happy to be associated with these very laudable achievements.
“So, I am happy that the Chief of Naval Staff is commending the success of the exercise. He is commending the doggedness of the men in fighting oil theft, not just in the Niger Delta, but particularly in our state.
“I assure you that we will continue to give them the support, and discourage any act that would be a sabotage to the economy of our state,” he added.
Vice-Admiral Ogalla noted that the Navy and Rivers were like conjoined twins who could not do without each other.
He said the Navy needed collaboration on various aspects of its activities, ranging from training, operations, logistics, and that Rivers remained key to its performance.