By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief)
The authorities of the Nigerian Navy have approved the establishment of a Naval Base in Kano state.
This is the following response to governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje's request for the Nigerian Navy's presence in Kano, to help strengthen the security of the state.
The gesture was disclosed on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, when he paid a courtesy call to the governor at his office in Government House, Kano state.
The Naval Chief was in Kano for the Chief of Naval Staff Annual Conference 2021, which holds between Wednesday, September 1 and Saturday, September 4, 2021.
Naval Chief, Gambo, told the governor that he was to inform him that the "Nigerian Naval Board, has approved the establishment of a Naval Base in Kano, which falls among other Naval Bases approved by the Board in some selected states".
Vice Admiral Gambo also commended the governor for his efforts in seeing to the successful operations of the Nigerian Navy, stating that his efforts were highly appreciated. "We are equally thankful to His Excellency's effort and support, by allocating 100 hectares of land for our new Naval Base in the state", the Chief of Naval Staff said.
He further explained that "We have already appointed the Acting Commander of the Base, who is Captain Muhammad Abubakar Alhassan, who should, henceforth, be part of the security architecture of the state."
According to the Chief of Naval Staff, when the Base is fully established, "... it will contribute to showcasing the effort of the Nigerian Navy for keeping the nation as one indivisible nation."
In his remarks, Governor Ganduje commended the Nigerian Navy for choosing Kano for their Conference, appreciating that, "Your choice of Kano shows how confident you are concerning the security and safety of the state. It also tells others that Kano is safe, secured, and peaceful."
"We are very grateful for the choice of Kano to have a Naval Base. This is highly instrumental. It gives us more and more courage to be above board in securing our dear state.
"The newly appointed acting Commander of your Naval Base in Kano will now be part of our security architecture. He will always be invited for our routine security meetings," governor Ganduje said. NNL.
