“Under his able leadership, the Nigerian Navy has made remarkable strides in safeguarding our maritime domain, protecting our national interests, and contributing to regional peace and stability”, these were the words of the new Chief of Naval Staff, Ikechukwu Ogalla, who took over mantle of leadership today.
The new naval boss said he is humbled and profoundly grateful to God for His goodness, mercy and favour upon him.
“For it is by His divine providence that I stand before you today as the 22nd Indigenous Chief of the Naval Staff of the Nigerian Navy. I consider it indeed a great privilege and honour to serve our great nation, Nigeria, in this capacity.
“I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for entrusting me with this significant responsibility. I must state that Mr President’s unwavering commitment to the security and prosperity of our dear nation is an inspiration to us all.
“I am acutely aware of the immense responsibility that comes with this position, and I am committed to serve our nation with utmost dedication and integrity. I assure Mr President, that I will do my utmost to uphold the trust he has on me.
“Most auspiciously are the fleet recapitalization efforts culminating in the hosting of a Presidential Fleet Review, infrastructural development milestones and gladly as a hydrography officer, the establishment of the National Hydrographic Agency amongst several significant achievements are worthy of mention.
“Sir, your dedication, strategic vision, and tireless efforts have set a high standard for all of us in the Nigerian Navy. I therefore salute your service and commitment to our dear nation and accord you best wishes and pray for your good health in your well-earned rest in retirement.
“I would also like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of the Principal Staff Officers and other very senior officers who have served meritoriously under my amiable predecessor. Their expertise, dedication, and tireless efforts have been instrumental to the successes achieved by the Nigerian Navy. As some of them retire, I want to express my deepest gratitude for their selfless service and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
“To us still in Service, the journey is however far from over. The task ahead of us is challenging. We continually face significant threats such as crude oil theft, prevalence of illegal refineries, Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, piracy, sea robbery, piracy, various forms of trafficking and other maritime crimes. “These are not just threats to our maritime security, but also to our economic stability and national development. But let me be clear: We are committed to tackling these security challenges head-on. We will intensify our efforts to curb crude oil theft and put an end to illegal refining. We will enhance our capabilities to combat piracy and sea robbery and ensure the general safety of our maritime domain.
“Indeed, I firmly believe that navigating the challenges of maritime security is a journey, not a destination. It will therefore require our unwavering commitment, steadfast resolve, and collective effort. With an ever-evolving mindset, continuous dedication to professionalism, fervent drive towards innovation, and an undying spirit of teamwork, I am confident that we can transform our maritime domain into a safer, more secure, and prosperous space for socio economic activities to thrive in fulfillment of our constitutional mandate.
“To achieve this, I solicit the cooperation of all personnel. Each one of us has a crucial role to play in ensuring the success of our Navy and I am confident that with our collective efforts as exemplified by our motto Onward Together, we can overcome these challenges.
“I urge you all to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and dedication in your duties. Together, we will write a new chapter in the illustrious history of the Nigerian Navy and build a Navy that is second to none, a Navy that our nation can be proud of.”
Speaking, the immediate past CNS, Gambo urged his colleagues to give maximum cooperation to the new naval boss, Rear Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla.
According to him, “It is only appropriate for me to place on record here that while the assistance received was invaluable, it would have yielded no fruits without you, the personnel of the Nigerian Navy.
“I cannot therefore thank you enough for your dedication as I commend your excellent teamwork and professionalism. Together from the PSOs, unit commanders at various levels, officers, ratings and civilian staff, we were able to weather the storm together in fulfilment of the NN mandate.
“I charge you to keep up the high standards and remain devoted to the Service. Most importantly, I enjoin you to sincerely extend the same cooperation to the incoming 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.”