Experts Knock Criticisms Over FG’s New Kano Naval Base , Says It’s Not The First Land-Locked State With Such Facility

The dust raised over recent approval by the Naval Board to establishment a naval base in Kano , a state known to be land locked , appears to have gone down.                                                                         

This is even as some experts have knocked the hitherto negative criticisms based on Kano state  Land locked position.               

It would be recalled that three naval bases were recently approved for establishment in Lekki, Oguta and Kano.                       

Out of these three sites, Kano location  has been of interest to  some public analysts  and commentators, who expressed reservations on the suitability of Kano , seen as a land locked state.

Following the controversy , Some Defence experts opined that there is nothing wrong with the decision. 

A former military officer and currently a private security practitioner who spoke to our Correspondent on the basis of anonymity, said thus:                                                                                                           

“it is pertinent to state that all naval establishments and units and indeed military formations are called bases or barracks, notwithstanding their physical location.” 

“Depending on their responsibilities, naval bases could be for operations, training, logistics or administration. In the Navy, these bases are called stone frigates. While naval operations bases should typically have a waterfront or be located in a maritime environment, some naval bases do not necessarily need to have a waterfront. 

“The base in Kano is intended to be home of the newly created Nigerian Navy Logistics College. For the benefit of doubt and the reading public, the Nigerian Navy is currently involved in various internal security operations beyond its primary maritime security roles. Aside from serving as a training establishment for Nigerian Navy logisticians, the base will also support NN operations in the hinterland. 

Another senior naval official enjoined  members of the public , to note that the Nigerian Navy took a strategic decision to decongest its presence in Lagos area by expanding to other locations other than Lagos, Calabar, Warri and Port Harcourt.         

This expansion , he said,  led to the establishment of the Nigerian Navy Finance and Logistics College in Owerrinta, Abia State, Nigerian Navy School of Armament Technology in Kachia, Kaduna as well as the School of Health Sciences in Offa, Kwara State. 

“Also in line with this decision, the Command Naval Drafting has been relocated to Lokoja, Kogi State while the School of Music is now located in Ota, Ogun State. Efforts are currently ongoing to relocate the School of Communication and Information Technology to Ife, Osun State. 

“Pertinently, the Nigerian Navy wishes to enjoin the media, as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, to be circumspect in reporting military operations. The Nigerian Navy in particular views the media as a force multiplier and intends to engage the mass media constructively in a mutually beneficial relationship.”