Group congratulates Gambo on 57th birthday

Babajide Williams

#Prayer and Support the Nigerian Armed Forces and Other Security Agencies, on Sunday, congratulated the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo on his 57th birthday.

Convener of the group, Mary Abayomi Fatile, said it was worthy to note that since Gambo’s assumption of office, he has demonstrated selflessness and unmatched dedication in the discharge of his responsibilities which have produced glaring results in the nation’s maritime domain.

She noted that a former UK Secretary of State for Development, Ms Hilary Benn, once said that development without security is not possible and security without development is only temporary.

“Going by this, it is no longer news that insecurity in the nation’s waterways has been curbed drastically since the CNS took the centre stage.

“The Nigerian Navy under the watch of Vice Admiral Gambo has sustained the fight against piracy thereby denying economic saboteurs the lure way to siphon the benefits of the nation to billions of naira weekly.

“This he did, by enhancing surveillance of the nation’s maritime domain, with the introduction of the use of drones, deployment of helicopters to patrol the creeks and the Falcon Eye surveillance facility, to monitor the nation’s territorial waters as well as her corridors of the Gulf of Guinea.

“This intentional move has succeeded in eradicating crude oil theft and other maritime-related crimes in no mean way and, has also promoted foreign navies like France, and Italian, among others, to pledge to partner with the Nigerian Navy to address sea robbery and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea’s corridor,” she said.

She added that the activities of the pirates and other transnational organised crimes that have been a major threat to maritime security and economic development in the Gulf of Guinea and the entire region have been dealt with drastically by the Nigerian Navy with the help of Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo.

Fatile noted that the move has resulted in a positive global assessment of Nigeria with the historic delisting of the country from piracy prone state by the International Maritime Bureau.

She added: “As he marks 57 years of impactful living, members of Prayer and Support for the Nigerian Armed Forces and other Security agencies, pray for more wisdom for him to move the Navy beyond where it is and wish him more years in good health.”