Nigeria Content Online

The
federal government’s post amnesty programme could only achieve
meaningful result if activities of oil theft and proliferation of arms
are reduced to the barest minimum on our waterways, the Flag Officer
Commanding, Western Naval Command, Ola Ibrahim said yesterday in Akure.

Mr. Ibrahim, who
led a team of Naval Chiefs on inspection of ships in formations under
his command to pay a courtesy visit to the Ondo State Governor,
Olusegun Mimiko, said all hands must be on deck to checkmate
proliferation of illegal arms to coastal communities.

“There is direct
relationship between oil theft and small arms proliferation. This is a
big problem which had resulted in loss of materials and men by the
Western Naval Command. However with the appropriate protection of the
water ways and economic activities taking place there, the country will
be better for it,” he said. “We must all rise up to make sure that the
post amnesty programme is successful by checkmating illegal
transporting of arms to the riverine communities which is being used by
militants as their base” He stressed further that the Nigerian Navy was
ready to work hand in hand with the state government to make the
waterways in the state crime free.

Mr. Ibrahim said
the conception of the Forward Operations Base is essentially to shorten
reaction time within crisis period in the area of operations, stressing
that the base is part of infrastructure that must bring about the
quality of service the Nigerian Navy renders for national development.

Mr. Mimiko charged
the Nigerian Navy to consolidate on the gains of the Federal Government
Amnesty Programme in 2009 by making the Niger Delta Waterways free of
criminal activities.

Ondo Naval Base

He said the presence of the Forward Operations Base (FOB) at Igbokoda,

in the oil-rich
Ilaje Local Government area of the state, was appreciated by the state
government as an additional means of securing lives and property in the
area.

“The establishment
of FOB will also serve as a deterrent to would-be criminals in our
waterways,” he said. “It will no doubt have positive effects on
securing the strategic oil and gas business in the Niger Delta region.

“The situation is much better now, but I think you are prepared to
confront any eventuality. The Amnesty Programme of President Musa
Yar’Adua administration has reduced illegal bunkering and economic
sabotage in the Niger Delta.”