Ex-Naval Chief Gambo takes final bow, says I’m leaving Navy better

The immediate past Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, was on Saturday honoured as he was ceremoniously pulled out of the service of the Nigerian Navy.

Gambo was appointed on 26 January 2021 and retired by President Bola Tinubu alongside others on June 19, 2023, following the appointment of new service Chiefs.

The pulling out parade which is a traditional military ceremony to mark officers’ retirement from service was held at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) QUORRA parade ground in Apapa and attended by the new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla, top ranking military officials both retired and serving, senior paramilitary personnel, legislators and traditional rulers among other dignitaries.

In his valedictory speech, Gambo expressed gratitude to God and several senior government officials for the successful completion of his 39 years naval career which culminated in the farewell ceremony and pulling out parade.

Gambo, who expressed satisfaction with his service said he is leaving the Navy stronger and better positioned to discharge its constitutional role for national security and economic prosperity.

Speaking on some of his achievements as the 21^st Chief of Naval Staff, Gambo disclosed that the Navy under his watch tracked and arrested over 15,000 vessels for various infractions in the nation’s waterways in the last two years.

He said top among the arrests was the recent arrest of MT Heroic Idun which attempted to load crude oil in Bonny without authorization.

The improved surveillance by the Navy, Gambo said led to a reduction in maritime crimes including piracy within the nation’s waters adding that during his tenure 10 pirates were sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for the first time in July 2021.

He said the feat was facilitated through the enactment of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act by the federal government in 2019.

“The gamut of activities in the last two years further significantly reduced piracy within the Nigerian Maritime domain and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) which was corroborated by the Defence Web. These eventually culminated in the exiting of Nigeria from the list of piracy prone countries as conveyed in the International Maritime Bureau Report of March 3, 2022.

“Illegal oil bunkering, through the instrumentality of Operation DAKATAR DA BARAWO has been brought to its lowest ebb. The Nigerian Navy has also leveraged highly on technology in its operations and this has made it more result-oriented and cost-effective. We don’t need to deploy most of our capital ships out there at sea to keep pursuing culprits or maritime offenders but from the comfort of all the operational commands, the Nigerian Navy can vector any maritime offending ships, platforms or persons such as pirates, sea robbers, among others to undertake arrest and prosecute them through the Suppression of Piracy and Other related Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act 2019.

“Under my watch, the Nigerian Navy commenced the first indigenous systematic survey of the Nigerian coastal and offshore waters, using state of the art survey equipment onboard Nigerian Navy Ship LANA, a hydrographic Ship acquired in 2021. This marked the beginning of systematic study of Nigeria’s maritime domain,” he said.

In addition to the successes recorded in anti-crude oil theft and anti- piracy operations, Gambo said the navy under his leadership also made remarkable achievements in the area of fleet renewal, manpower and infrastructural development.

“Looking back, I proudly reflect on the giant strides we attained in various facets of the Service under my leadership. The Nigerian Navy made significant improvement in operations, logistics, manpower development and personnel welfare. We recorded great achievements in anti-crude oil theft, anti-piracy and counterinsurgency operations as well as fleet renewal and massive infrastructural development among others. An appraisal of these efforts explains the successes attained by the Service, with increasing capacity to project force across the Gulf of Guinea in support of our neighbours and international partners. The secrets to these noble achievements remain teamwork, integrity and professionalism,” he said.

Thanking former President, Muhammadu Buhari for finding him worthy of leading the Navy Gambo also extended gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for the confidence entrusted to the Navy.

Gambo also commended naval officers and ratings for their support, team work and professionalism which according to him aided his recorded successes during his tenure as CNS.

He enjoined the officers to extend the same cooperation to the new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ogalla, who he described as a capable officer.

“As I bow today, permit me to place it on record that our Navy is stronger and better positioned than ever before to discharge its constitutional roles for our national security and economic prosperity. I therefore commend the officers, ratings and civilian staff of our dear Service for their loyalty and dedication, which assisted us to achieve so much. I urge all our personnel to remain steadfast in their service to our fatherland for the overall wellbeing of the Nigerian State.

“Most importantly, I enjoin you to sincerely extend the same cooperation to the Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral EI Ogalla. I have no doubt that you will heed this call for greater achievements irrespective of evolving challenges,” he said.