The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla on Wednesday, 11 December 2024, commissioned several welfare-focused facilities in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as part of the Nigerian Navy’s ongoing efforts to enhance the morale and welfare of its personnel. The commissioning took place at Ebubu-Eleme and Borokiri and is in line with the CNS’s strategic directives to ensure a motivated, ready, and cohesive naval force.
The newly commissioned facilities include:
– A Parade Ground and Pavilion
– Junior Rates’ Mess
– Senior Rates’ Mess
– Headquarters Naval Training Command Officers’ Mess
– Two accommodation blocks for Ratings, each containing 47 rooms
– A block of 56 one-bedroom flats
These projects are part of the Nigerian Navy’s year-end activities aimed at improving the living conditions of naval officers and ratings. During the ceremony, Vice Admiral Ogalla reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the longstanding issue of inadequate accommodation for Navy personnel, highlighting that significant resources are being invested in rehabilitating abandoned accommodations and constructing new ones in Port Harcourt and across other regions.
“We are rehabilitating and bringing back abandoned accommodations to ensure they are usable because we face a serious challenge of inadequate accommodation. We have prioritized using our resources to ensure that every project is done properly, alongside new constructions in Port Harcourt and other areas,” Ogalla stated.
The CNS emphasized that the welfare of Navy personnel, including access to decent and secure accommodation, remains his top priority. He reassured officers and ratings that their well-being would continue to drive the Navy’s development initiatives.
The commissioning marks a significant step in enhancing the overall welfare of the Nigerian Navy personnel and reflects the Navy’s ongoing efforts to create a conducive environment for the men and women serving the nation.