The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Ibok Ete-Ibas, on Friday reiterated its commitment to secure the nation’s waterways.

Ibok, who spoke through the Director of Logistics, Rear Adm. Mansur Salami, made the pledge shortly after Juma’at prayers at the Mogadishu Military Cantonment, Abuja, as part of activities marking the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Nigerian Navy (NN).

”There is enough to celebrate especially when you look at the fact that the Royal Navy played a vital role in establishing the NN that started basically from 200 men and to what we are today.

“We have also learnt enough from them, trying to become a bigger NN today.”

Ibok said that it would be a thing of joy to the Royal Navy that the small-sized NN they started had become a bigger force.

He said that the journey so far was a very successful one, starting from a 200 -man Navy to its present status.

The CNS said that the service had been involved in many operations since its inception in 1956 to date, which clearly showed that it had come a long way.

He, however, urged the younger generation who wanted to join NN or other armed forces, to display high level of integrity and good character.

He said they should see the armed forces as a selfless and voluntary service to the nation.

Also speaking, the Minister of Defence, Mr Mansur Dan-Ali, congratulated the NN and urged the Service to continue its good work, especially in securing the nation’s water ways.

“NN has done enough and everybody can testify to that from the time of the civil war to date.

“The Equitorial Guinea is well policed and if you can remember, in recent past, we signed an MoU with them, in policing water in that area, even in Gulf of Guinea.”

He said that the Niger Delta was well policed too, even though NN had some challenges, but that on the whole, it had done the country proud. (NAN)

•Photo shows Vice Adm. Ibok Ete-Ibas.

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