Lagos — Baring any last minute hitches, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye would, by October this year, launch the first made in Nigeria warship. The ship has, however, passed its most difficult test of ship building and is currently being built at the Nigerian Navy Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos, by a team of naval engineers. With this exploit, the Navy has thus proved critics wrong on the ability of the present CNS to take up challenges.

The Chief of the Naval Staff, who assured Nigerians that the navy is capable and now more ready than ever to take the bull by its horn in its quest to make the Nigerian Navy a blue sea navy that would be respected by countries of the world, said during his inspection tour of the project that the ship when completed will be a state-of-the-art warship.

He also used the opportunity to commend the commitment of the local engineers working on the project.

With the confidence of a fulfilled man Adekeye took a look at the ship under construction, nod his head and smiled before saying that the project has once again proved to the world that Nigerians are capable of developing world-class technology.

"What you have seen here today is a clear manifestation of the fact that we Nigerians are capable of evolving home grown technology which can compete at the global level. Insha Allah, this ship would be ready by September this year," he said.

He revealed that after it has been commissioned, the ship which has not been named will join other ships in the fleet of the navy in patrolling the Niger Delta Region. By so doing, he said it will keep pirates and crude oil robbers out of the nation's waterways. The CNS believes that the corporate image of the Navy and indeed of the nation, after the ship has been commissioned will benefit a lot.

To him, the nation's economy depends on oil and if some illegal bunkerers have been milking the nation of a huge proportion of its earnings, what it means is that Nigerians have mortgaged their existence to a tiny few. According to him it also means that Nigerians have actually undermined the integrity of the nation. "I don't see myself contributing to that," he said.

Though nobody gave the project any chance, the Navy said the ongoing construction work is an indicator that Adekeye is right on track to reposition that arm of the military.

However, building the warship for the Nigerian Navy is not the only worries of Adekeye as he also vowed to continue the war on illegal bunkering of the Nigeria's crude oil and maritime resources.

To him, if it is true that the economy of this nation depends on oil and it is also true that some illegal bunkers had been milking the nation of huge proportion of its earning, it goes to show that Nigerians are mortgaging their existence to a tiny few by ignoring the demands of the navy.

"So, not fighting it means we are actually undermining the integrity of the nation and I don't see myself contributing to that," he said. Since the war against illegal bunkering was total, the Naval authority in Abuja said it will soon add to its fleet about eight more war ships valued at about N30 billion to beef up its sea power at curtailing the activities of sea pirates and crude oil thieves who have made the Niger Delta Region a safe haven for their criminal activities.

Recently, the former Chief of Policy and Plans, Admiral Godwill Ombo in a paper titled "Repositioning the Nigerian Navy for Effective Operations in The 21st Century" at the Chief of the Naval Staff Annual Conference held in Offa, Kwara State, said that this a strong reminder that the CNS has always planned that the navy's presence should be felt at sea.

Reiterating the CNS position, Ombo stressed that in order for the Nigerian Navy to complete the ongoing local refit programme which it had hitherto embarked on, it is important that the Federal Government expedite action aimed at the procurement of about two Ex German Fast Patrol Boats (FPBs) and the Ex RN Castle class Operational Vessels (OPVs) including a medium size logistics support vessel.

"The process should be completed as soon as possible to enable them join the Nigerian Navy fleet, as part of the short term measures to consolidate the Navy operations," he added.

He explained that if these ships are acquired by the Federal Government as proposed, the Nigerian Navy may well be on its way to being a blue sea navy that its founding fathers dreamed it would be.

Though, he admitted that this may be part of the short term measures, but that it had become obvious that the Federal Government can no longer allow its wealth at sea to remain unprotected.

Indeed, the move to have a made in Nigeria warship, THISDAY learnt from some very senior naval officers in Abuja started soon after Adekeye took over the mantle of leadership of the Nigerian Navy.

This was borne out of the fact that, having commanded operational bases across the country, he saw the need for the Navy to remain permanently at sea rather than remain at dockyards and harbours.

The Navy source added that after the successful participation of the NNS ARADU, aptly referred to as the "Pride of the Navy" in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, where it took part in the Lord Nelson International Fleet Review, Adekeye brought together some naval engineers.

In the meeting, he disclosed to them the need for the Navy to build its own ship. This he said was achievable following the local refit programme embarked on by the Nigerian Navy. At the meeting he mandated them to come up with a design that would be built locally. Armed with this mandate, the Engineering Corp went into close door where the present ship was designed.

With the prototype of what they felt will place Nigeria on the world map, the team of engineers sought and met with the CNS during which they brought out what they have come up with.

THISDAY also learnt that with this, Adekeye sought audience with both the President Umar Yar'Adua and the National Assembly. It was also learnt that both the President and members of the National Assembly were elated by the move as a result of which they gave the CNS their nod to go ahead with the construction.

Ship building is a very unique venture. It normally takes place in a specialised facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, originally called shipwrights, follow a specialised occupation that traces its roots prior to recorded history. Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both commercial and military, are referred to as the "naval sector". The dismantling of ships is called ship breaking. The construction of boats is a similar activity called boat building.

Meanwhile, before he traveled outside the country recently to inspect some of the platforms which will soon join others in the fleet of the Nigerian Navy, the CNS warned that collaborators of unpatriotic activities weighing the nation down from within the Navy will be shown the way out if they fail to turn new leaf.

Though, this has always been his stand from the beginning, as he actually showed some generals the way out of the Navy for turning deaf ears to his warnings.

"As you know, the Navy in the last three years has waged a relentless war against the activities of those who do not mean well for the well being of this nation. Anybody who thinks that the situation will change should have their head re-examined.

"It is impossible to slow down the war on illegal bunkering that has been started. Because slowing down means a lot not only for me as a person, but for the Navy itself. What I am talking about here is the image of the Navy. It has a lot of effect on even the way we operate as a Navy because we have developed a sort of operational method of working which is tailored at positive achievement. So slowing down means retrogression," he emphasised.

Stressing the need to sustain the war against saboteurs of the exclusive economic zones, Adekeye said, "in fact these are tasks we have given to officers and ratings. We have re-orientated them to a level, to deprive them of the acquisition of cheap and illegal money and make reasonable contribution towards the development of the Navy and its operations."

To be able to benefit from other navies of the world, the CNS hosted the African Sea Power Symposium. The symposium which was the second in the series also included an international fleet review, which was held on June 2, 2006, in Lagos. Indeed, about 47 countries, including America and the British navies participated in the programme,

The former Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Captain Obiora Medani, while briefing journalists in Lagos recently, said the Sea power African Symposium was attended by 200 delegates from the 47 participating countries, while about 13 international organisations, among the delegates were the Chief of the Naval Staffs from 38 African countries and the Commander of the U.S Central Command Europe.

"An international exhibition was also held at the same venue from May 26 to 31," he added.

Medani who revealed that the event was expected to open new doors in the maritime industry in Nigeria also noted that the need to protect the African maritime industry was the centre of discussion.

According to him, it was a common fact that most of Nigerian's wealth lies deep in the sea, and it was the constitutional responsibility of the Nigerian Navy to protect and police the waterways. "The International Fleet Review held at Elegbeta Channel, Lagos was reviewed by the former President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Olusegun Obasanjo" he said. Ships from Nigeria, Ghana, Germany, US, UK, France, Brazil and South Africa participated in the international event.

The Nigerian Navy, which came into existence in 1956, according to him has come a long way and has always been known to meet up its constitutional responsibility.