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The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, expressed his support for the security watch when he paid a working visit to the Governor on Wednesday in Isialangwa.
According to a statement by the chief press secretary to the Governor Kazie Uko, the Naval Chief thanked Governor Otti for the payment of the operational allowances of the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies in the State, and stated that the problem of insecurity is a very serious issue, not only in the South East but the whole country.
“But having visited His Excellency, we’re very impressed with the effort which he’s making towards supporting the security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Navy, in order to surmount this daunting challenge.
“We appreciate his efforts; we appreciate his contribution towards improving security in the state. Of course, he has made it one of his cardinal objectives, knowing fully well that without security there will be no development.
“So we commend the agenda which he has launched, which is Operation Crush, with the aim of crushing out all these bad elements which are negating the effort of government in this state and we believe that as Abia State improves, the South East will improve and the nation will be better for it,” Vice Admiral Ogalla said.
The visit of the Naval Chief came barely 24 hours after Otti launched the joint security initiative to arrest the troubling incidents of kidnapping and armed banditry in the state, which had lingered for some years, especially in the border areas of Umunneochi and Isuikwuato.
Operation Crush is a multi-agency taskforce comprising the Nigerian Army, Navy, Police, DSS, Civil Defence and all other security agencies.
Welcoming the Naval Chief and his entourage, Otti expressed pleasure and congratulated him on his appointment, while extending gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for the appointment, which he said the Southeast had not had in the last 30 years.
“I am very pleased to welcome the Naval Chief here. Let me use this opportunity to congratulate him for the appointment, for going through all the screenings and for being approved.
“I thank the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for appointing one of our own. For a very long time, we have not had a Naval Chief coming from the South East. The last I could remember was over 30 years.
“We are very, very confident that you will use this opportunity to serve the people of Nigeria. You have started well, still in early days, we know that you will do very well,” Otti said.
The Governor acknowledged that security is very central to his administration’s agenda because “our agenda is an agenda of development for Abia State, which eventually rubs off on the whole of the Southeast and Nigeria”.
According to Otti, security and development go together, adding, “You may even have security without development but you cannot have development without security. The launching of operation crush is in line with that development agenda.”
Navy Commander McDonald Uba (rtd.), Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Brig. Gen. NJ Edet, Commander 14 Brigade Ohafia, joined Otti in receiving Vice Admiral Ogalla.
