Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok Ekwe-Ibas, on Wednesday in Abuja, warned indigenous ship operators to desist from acts that would constitute economic sabotage.
Ekwe-Ibas gave the warning when he hosted the Nigeria Ship Owners Association (NSOA) led by Olaniyi Labinjo, its president.
“I appeal to you as executive members of your association to warn your members to desist from acts that sabotage efforts of the nation. Any attempt to undermine government efforts will be resisted firmly by the Nigerian Navy.
“As a liberal state, we need all the stakeholders to collaborate to enable the nation have all the support required for development,” he said.
He urged the association to make more efforts to partner the security agencies to help provide the necessary environment conducive for business to thrive, and solicited the cooperation of the association in gathering intelligence and information needed to curtail incidents of sea piracy.
Recounting the role played by the indigenous ship owners in the past, he said the association had contributed immensely to the development of the country.
Responding, Labinjo described the Nigerian Navy and NSOA as “two wings of the same bird,’’ saying that their relationships and roles were intertwined.
He also said that the two groups played key roles in the economic development of the country.
According to him, the visit to the Navy Headquarters was a solidarity one and aimed at strengthening ties with the new Navy Command.
