Report by Stanley Okon, Abuja
PARIS, JULY 20, 2016: (DGW) Nigeria's Chief of Naval Staff, Ibot-Ete Ibas finally admitted that the rampaging militants in the troubled oil-rich Niger Delta are no pushovers because they possess more sophisticated weapons than the regular Nigerian Navy which he said has adversely hampered its efforts to combat militancy in the region.
Also hampering its efforts to secure Nigeria's maritime domain from activities of the militants which he described as economic saboteurs is the shortage of combat ships and inadequate funding.
He made this disclosure on Tuesday before the members of the Senate Committee on Nigerian Navy whom he received at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja.
This stunning revelation is coming months after a report claimed that the Federal government had deployed five warships, 100 gunboats, and fighter jets to the creeks.
He explained that the present number and mix of platforms in the Nigeria Navy inventory is grossly inadequate to effectively cover the vast maritime environment and support sister Services during joint operations.
The Naval boss added that many ships are old and therefore substandard which require a lot of resources to maintain and the deployment of the few operational ones is also becoming financially challenging.
He listed the challenges facing the navy to also include; limited maritime domain awareness capability, inadequate and dilapidated jetties, dilapidated logistics support facilities, weak hydrographic survey capability, shortage of barracks accommodation and inadequate funding.
Ibas explained that the challenges have persisted because of inadequate funding of the Nigeria Navy over the years, noting that the trend indicates that while the proposed over head is increasing annually, the amounts appropriated and released are decreasing.
He said: “This has impinged on Nigeria Navy’s ability to optimally maintain her fleet for sustained presence at sea among others,” adding that, the same situation applies for capital expenditure.
“Such that the Nigeria Navy ability to acquire adequate platforms and other hardware necessary to optimally police Nigeria’s maritime environment has been severely restricted,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Isah Misau said efforts are being made to ensure the Navy is assisted through enhanced budgetary provisions, pointing out that only the sum of N25, 646,409,841 was appropriated as capital expenditure in the 2016 budget for the Navy.
adding that they are aware that the provisions are inadequate to enable them perform their duties satisfactorily.
adding that they are aware that the provisions are inadequate to enable them perform their duties satisfactorily.
Eze Afrika
