The Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Terrorism in Nigeria have lauded the fiscal transparency and accountability policies of the Nigerian Navy, under the leadership of the incumbent Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
The group, through their Convener, Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, after a round – table discussion on Sunday 28th January, 2024, also condemned what it called the latest politically motivated accusations of multi billion naira oil bunkering, contract splitting fraud as well as the reckless allegations that the Naval Chief accepted over $170 million in bribes.
“At no time in our history, has the Naval leadership, shown more commitment to the sustenance of a policy of accountability, prudence and transparency, as it is now been seen under the leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
While it is a statement of fact that all contract awarded by the Nigerian Navy is always through due process. And the procedure for the arrest, detention and release of vessels and individuals found culpable in the maritime industry are clearly transparent and are within the ambit of our laws.
Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi said, the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla have become a target of a well funded, coordinated and orchestrated campaign of calumny by political detractors and some hired commentators, who always wear the toga of civil society activist.
Odeyemi said even though this is not the first time that this detractors, and those he tagged, economic saboteurs in the maritime industry will be coming out with such false accusations against the Nigerian Navy leadership.
The Civil Society Group and all other patriotic Nigerians are becoming worried about the consequences of such campaign of calumny on the moral of our Naval personnel who are fighting day and night to combat the activities of economic saboteurs, criminal gangs stealing our oil in the Niger-Delta and their foreign collaborators.
The said allegations against the Navy and the Chief of Naval Staff in some section of the media is either sponsored, concocted, unsubstantiated, pure conjectures or outright lies .
As a result of the desperation of these enemies of the significant gains, so far made by the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, we have resolved as patriotic Nigerians to embark on advocacy to sensitize Nigerians about the achievements of the Nigerian Navy under the current leadership, as a way of mobilizing our collective support towards achieving victory in the war against oil theft, bunkering and all other economic sabotage especially in the maritime industry in Nigeria.
