Nigerian Navy has decorated 12 qualified Master Warrant Officers found worthy in duty and national service with their new ranks of Lieutenant.
The officers were promoted after being granted presidential concessional commission by president Muhammadu Buhari. The commissioning is the second to be held by the Nigerian Navy.
In his address at the decoration ceremony, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Auwal Gambo, urged the newly promoted officers to remain steadfast, loyal to constituted authorities and diligently focus on their assignments.
He urged them to avoid any act that could damage the image of the Nigerian Navy and the nation, saying a lot will be expected of them as officers, given their years of experience and pedigree in the Service and the contemporary security challenges facing the nation.
He said the security challenges bedeviling the nation calls for dedication, selflessness, professionalism, integrity and teamwork, which they must depict at all times.
Admiral Gambo, who congratulated the officers, noted that the promotion is in fulfilment of his resolve to encourage hard work, commitment and integrity, which portray the Nigerian Navy in good light.
“As I have always noted, “man” remains the most critical and important factor for any organisation to succeed and the Nigerian Navy under my watch will stop at nothing to ensure personnel who distinguish themselves are rewarded handsomely.”
He said, “Today, I am glad to observe that the Nigerian Navy has placed a high premium on human capacity development particularly with the introduction of several motivational incentives towards enhancing human resource output for optimal operational efficiency of the Nigerian Navy. In addition to ongoing in-country regular training for career progression and development, slots for comparative training are sourced abroad to complement local training.
“There were also several conferences, retreats and seminars including the Third Nigerian Navy Warrant Officers’ Convention geared towards maximising leadership potentials.
“Furthermore, as part of the efforts to reinvigorate aspiration, leadership and strive for excellence within the ratings cadre, the Nigerian Navy activated the concessional commission provision in the Harmonized Terms and Condition of Service – Officers 2017 (Revised). The provisions of the Concessional Commission allow for outstanding personnel of the rank of Master Warrant Officer and above or equivalent who possess exemplary leadership qualities and have distinguished themselves through hard work, dedication and meritorious service to be commissioned as officers in the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The Concessional Commission also serves as a motivational measure for non-commissioned officers to aspire to be elevated to the officer cadre.
“The 12 of you seated here today, distinguished yourselves and were found worthy of this recognition and elevation, I therefore congratulate you all. I also felicitate with your respective families, spouses and loved ones for the perseverance and support, which culminated into this Presidential Concessional Commissioning.
“At this juncture, may I remind you all of the Oath of Allegiance that was just administered to you. By that oath, I charge you to remain steadfast and loyal to constituted authorities and diligently focus on your assigned duties. You are to also avoid any act that could bring disrepute to the Nigerian Navy and by extension Nigeria in general. May I also add that a lot will be expected of you as officers, given your experience and pedigree in the Service, especially in the light of the contemporary security challenges our nation faces. These challenges undoubtedly call for dedication, selflessness, professionalism, integrity and teamwork, which you must depict at all times”.