The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Olufemi Oluyede, has called on the Nigerian Navy to continue to encourage the inclusion and cooperation of sister agencies in some of its activities.
Oluyede, who made the call in Onne, Rivers State, at the inaugural 10km jog/walk exercise organized by the Nigerian Naval College, Onne, said such inclusion promotes interagency relationship and cooperation.
He praised the Navy for its integration approach, which encouraged the full involvement of sister agencies such as the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Customs Service , the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).
The army chief, who was represented by Nigerian Army 6th Division Garrison Commander, Brigadier General Saidu Tilawan, advised the Navy to change its slogan “Forward Together” to “Nigeria Forward Together”, noting that this it was necessary in this new cooperative mood.
He also charged sister agencies to learn from the Navy, stressing that such cooperation could promote interagency understanding.
Oluyede said: “I say congratulations for a good performance. There is a saying with the Nigerian Navy, ‘Nigerian Navy, Forward together’, but what I have seen today is no longer, Nigerian Navy Forward together.
“The vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff has elevated this slogan from ‘Nigeria Navy Forward Together’ to ‘Nigeria Forward Together’ because here we have representatives from all the military services, paramilitary organizations, civilian organizations, friends of the civilian population, all came together to participate in the inaugural edition of the 2023 10 km walk and jog exercise,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, Nigerian Army College Commander Onne, Commodore Pakiribo Anabraba, explained that the essence of the exercise was to keep Nigerian Army personnel, including sister agencies and the public, alert and fit.
Anabraba said: “The aim of this exercise is to bring together the Nigerian Navy and all the other sister agencies, as well as the host communities, to interact in a more conducive atmosphere, so that when they see each other operational they can cooperate. No problem.
“I must say that the Nigerian Naval College, Onne, has enjoyed a cordial relationship with its host communities and other stakeholders, sister agencies and paramilitary services. Therefore, this 10km walk/jog is one of the activities set to further strengthen the existing relationship.”
The 10 kilometer jog/walk exercise, which involved more than 157 participants, took them from the university to the Onne roundabout and back to the university.
Constable Tsegha Emmanuel of the Nigerian Police Force, Bonny Division and Sergeant Asedo Queensley of the Sports Secretariat, Nigerian Police Headquarters, Rivers State Command, respectively, were the first male and female participants to arrive from the walk/jog of 10 km.
Gifts were given to them and to other participants. Some participants, including DSP Briggs Asigoboka, a Nigerian Police Sports Officer, Kennedy Onuoha, a Notore (NAFCON) staff member and Daniel Ekpah of the Nigerian Maritime Academy, who spoke to reporters in an interview praised the Navy. for the exercise.
