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Nigeria, Ghana navies partner on maritime security, others

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The Nigerian navy and its Ghanaian counterpart, on Friday, in Abuja, agreed to partner to secure the maritime domains of their two countries against piracy and other criminal activities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Awwal Gambo, and his Ghanaian counterpart, Rear Adm. Issah Yakubu, agreed to the partnership when the latter paid a visit to the Naval headquarters, in Abuja.

Gambo noted that the partnership had become imperative due to the activities of pirates and other criminal activities in the maritime domain of the two countries.

Recalling that both countries had enjoyed long brotherly relations in the areas of economic, education, military training and cooperation, Gambo said that similar relations equally manifested in the interactions between their navies.

The CNS noted that the Gulf of Guinea was threatened by the activities of criminal elements, who were taking advantage of the limited capabilities of the navies in the region to adequately secure the area.

Gambo stressed that the threat posed by the activities of these elements constituted a major challenge not only to the littoral states, but equally undermined regional development and global trade.

“Notably the trans-boundary and transnational nature of maritime crimes makes the security of the environment a task beyond the capacity of any country acting alone.

“It is against this backdrop that this bilateral engagement was convened by the Heads of our two countries towards addressing the maritime security challenges within the region,” he said.

Gambo expressed his optimism that the partnership would foster greater collaboration and burden sharing hinged on the cooperative maritime security framework as envisioned in the 2013 Yaounde Protocol, to strategically address maritime security and enhance the economic prosperity of the region.

“I have no doubt that the partnership will further strengthen the existing cordial bilateral relations between the two countries as well as the navies,” he added.

Earlier, Yakubu stated that he was visiting his Nigerian counterpart to forge a partnership against the activities of pirates and other criminals operating in the maritime environments of the two countries.

The Ghanaian CNS noted that the only way out of the challenge was for the two countries’ navies to form a partnership to tackle the menace headlong, citing in particular the need for mutual information sharing.

“What is happening in the Gulf of Guinea at the moment is not too good for both countries maritime environment. Therefore, there is need for a partnership of this nature, to be able to tackle the ugly situation headlong,” he said.

He expressed the optimism that the partnership would go a long way in addressing the challenges and change positively change the narrative. (NAN)

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Defence and Security

Senate Confirms Appointment Of Oluyede As COAS

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3 weeks ago

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December 3, 2024

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Major General Olufemi Oluyede
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The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede for appointment as Chief of Army Staff.

The confirmation today followed the consideration of reports by the Chairman of the sense committee on Army, Sen. Yar’ adua, Abdulaziz Musa (Katsina Central).

The committee’s recommendations were unanimously adopted by the upper chamber.

Lieutenant General Oluyede was appointed to act as the Chief of Army Staff following the illness and subsequent death of Lt. Gen. Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.

 

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Defence and Security

Tinubu Appoints New DG for NIA, DSS

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4 months ago

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August 26, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new Directors-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed is the new Director-General of the NIA.

Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi is the new Director-General of the DSS.

This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President, Media & Publicity

The statement reads : “Ambassador Mohammed has had an illustrious career in the foreign service since joining the NIA in 1995.

He had served in various roles, culminating in his promotion to the rank of Director and his subsequent appointment as the head of the Nigerian mission to Libya”

“The 1990 graduate of Bayero University, Kano, had served in North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and at the State House, Abuja”

“The new DSS Director-General, Mr.

Adeola Ajayi, rose through the ranks to attain his current post of Assistant Director-General of the Service. He had, at various times, served as State Director in Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi”

“The new appointments follow the resignation of the previous NIA and DSS chiefs”

“President Tinubu expects that the new security chiefs will work assiduously to reposition the two intelligence agencies for better results and charges them to bring their experience to bear in tackling the security challenges bedeviling the country through enhanced collaboration with sister agencies and in surgical alignment with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The President thanks the outgoing Directors-General of the two pivotal intelligence agencies for their services to the nation while wishing them success in their future endeavours”

 

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Defence and Security

Army Has No Desire To Truncate Nigeria’s Democracy — COAS

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10 months ago

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March 5, 2024

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Chief of Army Staff
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja
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The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, on Tuesday, restated the commitment of the Nigerian Army to defend the nation’s choice of government, democracy.

Addressing participants at a seminar on career planning and management organised by the Army headquarters, the COAS said the Army has no plans to truncate democracy in the country.

He charged officers of the Nigerian Army to remain above board in the discharge of their professional duties.

“Permit me to seize this opportunity to reiterate that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, particularly the Nigerian Army has come to terms with the country’s choice of democracy as the preferred system of governance,” he said during his address to officers.

“We are therefore agents of democracy and have no desire to truncate it. The Nigerian Army will continue to defend our constitution and not suspend it for whatever reason.

“It is the duty of our elected leaders to lead while the military does its job as enshrined in our constitution. Nigerian Army personnel must therefore remain professional and be above board as they discharge their constitutional duties.”

The commitment by the COAS followed the series of putsches in West and Central Africa which have experienced at least seven military takeovers in the last four years.

Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and most recently, Niger Republic — all members of the Economic Community of Western African States ( ECOWAS) — have pulled out from the regional bloc in last four years. Outside of West Africa, Chad and Sudan also experienced military coups in 2021.

 

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