By ALBERT AKPOR
The Nigerian Navy has charged officers and ratings of the organisation to always strive to uphold the ethics of the profession, saying it was the hallmark upon which the military was built. In this vein it announced that it will go to any length to unravel the cause of the alleged murder of a female rating by her live-in-boyfriend, a seaman. The seaman identified as Harry was reported to have murdered the rating identified as Itoya over allegation of infidelity.

But the Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Emmanuel O. Ogbor at the occasion of the closing ceremony of the bi-annual FOC’s inspection of the Area of Responsibility, AOR, at the Navy Base Apapa, Lagos warned that acts of indiscipline would no longer be tolerated in the organisation.

The naval boss who gave a low down of the activities of the Command since the commencement of the present leadership of the Navy said he was so far satisfied with what the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, has put on ground and of course, the overall conduct of his personnel during the inspection. He, however, stressed on the need to improve on  military/civilian relationship.

According to him: “Since the beginning of the incumbent CNS administration, this Command has been involved in two major exercises: these were ‘Ex Farrin Wata’ in the Western Naval Command Area of Responsibility and ‘Ex Nemo’ in the Eastern Naval Command Area of Responsibility in which ships and helicopters from the Command participated.

Presently, ships and helicopters from the Command are involved in a joint operation codenamed ‘OP Prosperity’ to check piracy in the Beninese waters”.On the murder of the rating, Rear Admiral Ogbor said: “The Navy is saddened about the tragic incident involving two of our people who enlisted into the Navy to serve their fatherland but were swayed by mere things of life.

It is barbaric. A board of inquiry has been inaugurated over the issue to authenticate the veracity of the report and the Naval Headquarters will get to the root of the matter and I bet you, whoever is culpable will not go unpunished.

Despite this modest achievement, some bad eggs have continued to smear the image of the Command through misconduct and other acts of indiscipline. Naval headquarters is not happy with this development. The Command will not hesitate to ruthlessly deal with any officer or rating that brings the image of the NN to disrepute.

Henceforth, commanding officers will be held responsible for any act of misconduct by their ratings. The image of the Nigerian Navy is what our founding fathers worked very hard to protect”.