By Chris Njoku
Rear Admiral Sanusi Ibrahim, new Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, on Tuesday charged the officers to be mindful of their responsibilities to the country.
Ibrahim stated this during the handover ceremony at the Headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command, Calabar, from Commodore Princeton Efedue, his predecessor.
He said that the officers of the Nigerian Navy must at all times remember the oath of allegiance they took and which should always be their guide.
“We must be receptive and responsible for those placed under us in the spirit of our long-cherished ethos of divisional system and reinvigorate this system by giving everyone a sense of belonging.
“However, I think the Nigerian Navy in the past has done a lot; we are working within the limits of what we have and are putting in our best to ensure that our maritime space is secure.
“What we want to do is to reappraise our situation and come up with strategies that will further enhance our operational capacity and efficiency,” he said.
He added that he was mindful of the huge responsibilities on his shoulders, as he called for patience, support, commitment and understanding of the officers for him to succeed.
The event witnessed the formal handover of insignia and lowering of the distinguishing flag of the former acting FOC, Commodore Efedue and the hoisting of the distinguishing flag of the new FOC.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Efedue was posted to the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, as Director Administration.
He took over as the FOC on Jan. 4, after the retirement of Rear Admiral David Adeniran. (NAN)