The Nigerian Navy and the Ogun State Government are set to flag-off the ground breaking ceremony of the Naval Base and Dockyard in Ode-Omi in the Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state.
Ogun Gov. Dapo Abiodun announced this while receiving the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Mike Oamen in his office in Abeokuta, the capital.
According to him, the flagging off is coming at a critical time when the state needs to strengthen its security along its waterways to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the porous security situation in that corridor and to protect the recently discovered hydrocarbon minerals (petroleum gas) in the area.
Abiodun said the citing of the Naval Base and Dockyard in the state would further send a strong signal that the security architecture in Ogun State is further strengthened and safe for more investment.
The governor further disclosed that the state is looking forward to the groundbreaking ceremony for the Naval Base and Dockyard, adding that it is important to have a Naval presence in the state to ensure that unscrupulous elements do not take advantage of all the economic benefits in the horizon.
Abiodun also said that the access road to the Naval Base and Dockyard would be ready by the end of the week.
“We are looking forward to the ground breaking ceremony. I have with me pictures of works that have been ongoing to allow us access the said property and I am told that sometime by the end of this week, the access road that is being worked on by our Ministry of Works and Infrastructure will be fully accessible
“We are going further not just in making the place accessible but in actually preparing the site for the ground breaking ceremony and it will be a befitting preparation.
“This will allow us to underscore the importance that we attach to the Nigerian Navy and how much we look forward to having their presence here to further complement our law enforcement architecture.
“We are looking forward to this ground breaking; we believe that it will send a strong signal that indeed Ogun State is ready to partner with the Navy and also that we will not be a haven for unscrupulous elements.
“The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure is here, and he has briefed me that sometime by the end of this week, on or before, the access road to Ode-Omi, which is where the site for the Naval Base and Dockyard is located, will be ready, and the site itself will be prepared for groundbreaking.
“With the coming of the Navy it would be a good signal that security architecture in Ogun State is further strengthened and it is a place to continue to look at for investment,” he said.
Abiodun who noted that there had been steps to begin the construction of the Olokola Liquefied Natural Gas Project as well as the Ogun State Deep Sea Port project in Ogun Waterside by previous administrations before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, added that the ground breaking of the Naval Base and Dockyard would further improve the economic base of the state.
He disclosed that his administration has completed the formalities of allocating about 100 hectares of land for the purpose of citing the Naval Base and Dockyard.
The state government has waived all fees and charges, which amounted to several billions, and has forwarded the Certificate of Occupancy to the Naval headquarters, he added.
“In view of the prospective activities that we are envisaging in our riverine areas, the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, gladly obliged us and accepted that it is important for us to have a naval base and a dockyard in Ogun State.
“We proceeded to make different positions available, and at that time, a committee was set up between members of the Nigerian Navy and the state government to identify locations that would be acceptable to the Nigerian Navy.
“Subsequently, a location was identified in Ogun Waterside, and we allocated a parcel of land, 100 hectares, for the purpose of setting up this facility. We have since completed the formalities of allocating the parcel of land to the Nigerian Navy.
“We have waived all fees and charges, which amounted to several billions, and have since forwarded the Certificate of Occupancy for that parcel of land to the Naval headquarters,” he said.
Abiodun acknowledged the contributions of the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo who he said played a major role at ensuring the presence of the Nigerian Navy in the state, especially Tongeji Island.
He said: “Let me put on record and thank the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, who worked collaboratively with us to ensure that there is some Naval presence in Tongeji. He was very determined to ensure we did that because those people in Tongeji were already wondering if they were just Nigerians in name only.
“Sadly and unfortunately, we do not have a road connection to Tongeji like Benin Republic has but the past Chief of Naval Staff ensured that we have some Naval outpost and some little jetty there in Tongeji and we are very grateful.
“I also want to thank him because it was under his watch that I made a case for the wider presence of the Nigerian Navy here and currently, we have the Secondary School and the Music School.”
In his remarks, Rear Admiral Mike Oamen commended Governor Abiodun for the support he has been providing to the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies in the state.
He also noted that it was necessary to assist the Ogun State Government in ensuring security in its maritime space, adding that the Navy is poised to ensure that all coastal states are free from unscrupulous elements by maintaining the presence of Naval personnel in all the waterways and creeks.
“The Ogun State Governor has taken the security of life and property of residents and indigenes of the state very seriously, and the Nigerian Navy is very ready to support this effort.
“We are going to set up a Naval Base where you have your new deep sea port and the gas region and we are hoping that as soon as possible, we will be getting a lot of things done in conjunction with the state government.
“The Naval Base is part of the Chief of Naval Staff’s plan, and very soon work will commence there. Be assured that the Navy will be fully on the ground in Ogun State.
“I will assure his Excellency that the Naval headquarters is very disposed to ensuring that the base takes off as soon as possible,” he said.
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