we’ve made pipeline vandals uncomfortable ~ Rear-Admiral Suleiman

By Dei B. Badou.




“The out-gone Flag Officer Commanding [FOC] Central Naval Command [CNC] Rear-Admiral Apochi Ogabu Suleiman on Friday 15th April 2016 at its HQs in Yenagoa, said the Command under his watch frustrated several atrocities of pipeline vandals in its area of command.

Rear-Admiral Suleiman who made the remark at a handing and taking over ceremony between himself and Rear-Admiral Tariworio as the new head of the CNC said the seeming increased pirates’ activity and kidnapping in the creeks of the Niger Delta was as a result of pipeline vandalism that had been made unattractive to the perpetrators, further stated that his seven months of operation in the CNC, he was able to bring oil theft to zero level through what he described as the ‘choke point strategy’.

Rear-Admiral Suleiman who gave the assurance that the CNC would rout all the criminal elements from the creeks, called on the officers and ratings of the Command to work with the new FOC to achieve set goals and objectives of the Command.
In his remarks, Rear Admiral Dick who said recent statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that oil thieves would be treated like Boko Haram insurgents was in order given the negative effect of oil theft on the nation’s economy, congratulated his predecessor on his achievements in a short period of time called on the men of the CNC to accord him the same level of cooperation that enabled his predecessor to succeed.
He also expressed surprise at the number of projects embarked upon by his predecessor Rear-Admiral Suleiman within his seven months of administration and vowed to do more as soon as he settles down to business.

On how he intended to carry out his operations, the new FOC said he would evaluate what was on the ground and plan to surpass it. Calling on all naval ratings to be serious at their various points of duties, he warned against name-dropping and any act capable of brining the navy into disrepute.

On the menace of piracy and kidnapping in the region, Rear-Admiral Dickson solicited for information from members of the public, adding that those who perpetrated such crimes did not represent any community, but lived in the communities. He said, “If the communities are not happy with what the criminals are doing, they should provide us with useful information and we will go after them (criminals). “The criminals do not represent any community, but they live in the communities and in most cases their actions work against the sustenance of the communities.”

Highpoints of the event was the commissioning of several projects embarked upon by the outgoing administration in seven months, courtesy call on the governor of Bayelsa State, handing/taking over notes and symbol of office including unveiling of naval command maiden magazine and presentation of Award of Excellence to the outgoing FOC by the National Chairman of the Community Media Network of Nigeria Mr. Ebi Ozeigbe.