The House of Representatives has assured Nigerians and business community of its resolve to address various challenges bedevilling the country’s maritime industry including oil theft, piracy and oil bunkering.
Chairman, House Committee on Navy, Shaaban Sharada gave the assurance Thursday in Abuja at the inaugural meeting of the Committee.
Sharada also pledged the Committee’s commitment towards “writing the names of members of the Committee in history of Nigeria, by improving the security of the oil and maritime industries.”
While soliciting for the cooperation of members of the Committe in the discharge of its responsibility, the Chairman said: “if you look at how the navy committee in the past has been discharging its work, we have a lot of things to do presently to salvage this country from a lot of issues bedevilling the country ranging from the issue of oil theft, piracy and a lot of bunkering and other maritime security within our waterways.
“By the special grace of God we will do our best to ensure that we add value to the people of Nigeria and Nigerian government as well as Nigerian financial institutions in such a way that will reduce such menace to the bearest minimum.”
He expressed satisfaction over the cognate experience of members of the Committe and assured that his colleagues have requisite knowledge of the “modus operandi of the National Assembly in fact those members other who have experience in Navy, my Deputy Chairman is also a retired Navy officers and we have two or three Navy officers that are in this committee.
“So by the special grace of God we are going to work with experienced people well dedicated members. With my interaction with you so far, I’m very sure the Navy committee is going to emerge as one of the best committees in the National Assembly.
Sharada said “aside from the statutory role of over sighting the Nigerian Navy as an institution, particularly the units and commands, presently have been the budget process at hand I have informed the Secretariat to give us the one year work plan and subsequently update and review other yearly plans,” he explained.
James Kwen, Abuja
