The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, has attributed the increase in oil production in the last six months to the good job done by his officers and men working in the oil-producing areas in the Niger Delta.
Ogalla, who said this on Tuesday when he paid a familiarisation visit to officers and naval ratings in the Central Naval Command (CNC), Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, said that oil production increased after troops took over security duties in the areas.
Ogalla also visited the Joint Task Force ‘Operation Delta Safe, the Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri and the central naval command.
He said: “When we started in 2023, precisely around June, we went to all the Naval formations, assessed the situation and looked at what was the problem at that time the nation’s oil production was about 700,000 barrels per day.
“We needed to raise our game and we became more intelligence driven, in the sense that we made sure we involved the community and other agencies to get information.
“In doing so, many things were put in place. We impounded many vessels operating illegally, particularly on oil theft.
“We demobilised these vessels and these criminals started seeing their ventures as very costly and the likelihood of them being caught is always there. That is why they have been curtailing their activities in the last six months, resulting in an increase in oil production.
“This is what we have been doing and we are going to do more to increase our strategies. Why we are here today is to look at some of the areas we have to work on so that in 2024 we tend to increase oil-production capacity by another 50 per cent,” he said.
He said that the Nigerian Navy was determined to do more because the Navy has dedicated officers and ratings who are committed to doing their jobs.
According to him: “We have also recognised that in every organisation, you can have one or two bad eggs who will want to give a bad image to the Nigerian Navy. We have also put a mechanism in place to identify some of them.
“Some of them who have been identified, have been dealt with. We will continue to do that.
“I want to state that the environment we are operating in is a very complex one in the sense that the criminals have a lot of resources and reach they can employ to give a bad image to those who are fighting them.
“So, we are not surprised by their push back and all their antics they have employed to give the Nigerian Navy a bad image. But as a professional organisation and as people who are well trained, we will never be deterred.
“Our work will speak for us. We will continue to do our best, arrest these criminals, deal with them squarely in such a way they will know that whatever propaganda they use will not affect us.”
The CNS urged officers and ratings to take their duty seriously as their morals are very high and are ready to turn the tide against economic saboteurs in 2024.
On his part, the OPDS Commander, Rear Adm. Olusegun Ferreira, said all efforts were being made to protect the maritime environment of the Niger Delta region.
He said that the mandate of the OPDS was being achieved as they are doing all it takes to achieve their mandate of securing the national assets.
In his address, Diri, represented by Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, commended the Nigerian Navy for the protection of oil facilities situated in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta at large.
The governor used the opportunity to clarify the state’s government position on pipeline surveillance contracts.
The governor faulted some media reports that called for cancellation of oil pipeline surveillance contracts awarded by the federal government to some private security firms in the country.
The government said its position remains that the Nigerian Navy should be strengthened to perform its constitutional role of tackling the country’s security challenges and protecting its maritime assets.
He said the state government had never been against engaging non-state actors in oil pipeline surveillance but that they ought to be supervised by the country’s conventional security organs.
The governor further stated that the government’s call for a review of the current pipeline surveillance arrangement is that the Niger Delta states should be involved in order to create room for more inclusiveness.
He also explained that the inclusion of the states would prevent a situation where the non-state actors engaged in pipeline surveillance take the laws into their hands at their different operational areas.
The governor noted that the current arrangement could pose greater security challenges if not properly regulated.
Diri, again commended the security commanders and their men serving in the state for their commitment in discharging their duties, which has ensured Bayelsa remains one of the most peaceful states in the country.
Olusegun Samuel
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