To boost professional efficiency of Nigerian Navy personnel, the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice Admiral Ibokete Ekwe Ibas has commissioned four newly constructed and fully furnished apartment buildings in the Eastern Naval Command.
Vice Admiral Ibas commissioned six three bedroom flats located within the premises of the Nigerian Navy Nursery and Primary school, Ikot Ansa, Calabar in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
Ibas, who was represented by the Fleet Commander, Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral Perry Onwuzulike, also unveiled a twin two storey block of 24 One bedrooms apartments for House Officers at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar.
A well furnished house for the Eastern Naval Command’s Chief Boatswain Mate and a 40 room one storey building for Ratings as well as an arrival hall for trainees were also launched at the Navy Barracks Skin Qua Town in Calabar.
The Chief of Naval Staff was visibly satisfied with the quality of the buildings, which he noted would serve officers and ratings of the force.
According to Ibas, “this is an epoch making event. These projects we have commissioned today beginning from Ikot Ansa to the reference hospital and to Skin Barracks where we have the arrival hall for Ratings and the CBM quarters are infrastructural development projects as encapsulated in the navy’s strategic plan to develop infrastructure”.
“These are located within the Eastern Naval Command’s area of responsibility. We have other infrastructural development projects across all the Nigerian Navy commands. We have five naval Command’s and these four area meant for officers and ratings in this area,” noted Ibas.
The CNS stated that the reason for infrastructural development was to boost professional efficiency of the officers and ratings, saying “obviously if the welfare of the men are well taken care of then we expect optimal efficiency in the discharge of their responsibility”.
“It is all keyed towards enhancing the professional efficiency of the Nigerian Navy,” he stressed.
The ceremony was attended by service chiefs in Cross River State as well as some members of the navy host community.
Nnenna.O
