Navy bars A’Ibom residents from constructing storey building near its base

Akpan Umoh, Uyo

The Nigeria Navy, NNS Jubilee in Ikot Abasi, has said that it would not allow anyone to construct a storey building directly opposite the base main gate due to security implications.

The Base Operation Officer, Navy Cdr. Morgan Etuk, said this on Thursday while speaking with newsmen on the complaint by a church of incessant harassment and disruptions of the church project work opposite the base.

Etuk, while reacting to allegations of disruptions of works said every military establishment the world over must have a buffer zone,

He said that when the church workers came to the site on Saturday, March 12, one of the officers of the Base went and told them of the need for a round table discussion, which they ignored.

According to him, the base had dialogue with the Church leadership about four times on the need to relocate the structure from opposite the Base entrance, but they refused.

“This is a military establishment and every military establishment all over the world must have a buffer zone, a safety zone. So this military establishment is not an exception. 

“However, when they came that Saturday one of our officers went to them and said not to continue. That was not the first time, they were told not to continue with the work. 

“We told them they need to come, so we have a round table discussion because that church if erected will become a security threat to this base.

“If you check our security architecture you will see drums and sentries stationed all over the place. These are some of the things we use to protect this place. 

“Coming to erect that structure, which they said is even a storey building, somebody can go there and use it as an observation post to monitor what is happening inside the base.

“As a pastor, you will not tell me categorically that hundred per cent of the members don’t have any criminal tendency of intentions.

“You heard about how criminals go about attacking military zones, killing personnel and carting away weapons, so we have to secure our base.

“We can’t just sit down and allow a structure erected in front of us which we know full well that that might become a security threat to us,”  Etuk said.

On the issue that the church workers were beaten, the base operation officer debunked the allegations, stressing that naval officers were law-abiding citizens and not animals that would start beating people up.

He said the Base has no power to give any approval or authorisation for anyone to erect a structure except the Officer of National Security Adviser.

“For now, that approval has not been given. So, for now, we can’t allow them to go ahead with that job knowing fully well that it will be a security threat to us,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that a Medical Doctor and member of the Church, Dr Inemesit Ekanem, in a statement alleged that NNS Jubilee disruption and harassment had impeded the progress of work.