– Conducts search & rescue exercise
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Occasioned by the increasing rate of boat mishaps in the country, the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder under the Eastern Naval Command has conducted a search and rescue simulation exercise aimed at saving lives at sea and curbing boat mishap casualties within the nation’s maritime domain.
The exercise which is a directive from the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, to all Naval Commands in the country, was in conjunction with 10 other agencies including the Nigerian Airforce, Nigerian Army, Civil Defence, Police, NEMA, NIMASA, NIWA, NPA, the Rivers State Government, amongst others.
Speaking, the Naval Commander, NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo, said the Nigerian Navy was poised to save lives at sea, noting that apart from protecting Nigeria’s maritime domain from both external and internal threats, the Navy also must protect lives.
Igbo also commended the Rivers State Government, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Saheed Akinwande, for their support in the conduct of the Search and Rescue Simulation Exercise.
“This event is occasioned by the increased rate of boat mishaps and the number of casualties recorded in Nigeria’s maritime domain including Rivers State in recent times. The Search and Rescue Simulation Exercise is aimed at exercising the Nigerian Navy and other maritime agencies to effectively conduct emergency search and rescue operations in the maritime environment, and to encourage the Rivers State Government to reactivate its emergency search and rescue team.
“The point is that we must protect lives, in collaboration with other stakeholders including the Rivers State Government. We already have our Naval boats and ships in the creeks, in case of any emergency.”
Also, the Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, represented by Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, commended the Nigerian Navy for conducting the exercise and hinted at plans to revitalise the State Emergency Management Agency.
The governor recalled the heroic act of a Rivers indigene, Joe Blankson, who lost his life after rescuing 14 persons during a boat mishap along the Bakana River in 2018.
“We must commend the Nigerian Navy for putting the simulation exercise together, and to let us know that we all have a part to play in ensuring a holistic approach for safety and security on our waterways.”
For his part, the Police Commissioner in Rivers State, Olatunji Disu, who described the Marine Police as one of the most important agencies in water operations, assured of readiness to collaborate with other agencies in carrying out rescue operations within the state’s waterways.
Meanwhile, the Port Harcourt Area Manager, of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Surv. Bernard Ekawu, said NIWA remains passionate concerning safety on the waterways and has already established search and rescue centres across all its area offices.
“The Authority is poised to ensure that there is safety on our waterways. There is emphasis from the Authority on adherence to safety protocol. We don’t allow sailing at night, boat overloading, rickety boats, and moving without life jackets. So all stakeholders on the waterways must adhere to safety protocol,” NIWA said.
For his part, the South-South Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Adebiyi Razaq, represented by Zonal Secretary, Mr Ochoche Samson Ochepo, said NEMA was already carrying out advocacy and sensitization to reduce disasters on the waterways.
