Posted by From George Oji in Abuja and Eugene Agha in Lagos on
President Olusegun Oba-sanjo has approved the appointment of Rear Admiral Ganiyu Tunde Adegboyega Adekeye as replacement to Vice Admiral Samuel Afolayan as Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).
President Olusegun Oba-sanjo has approved the appointment of Rear Admiral Ganiyu Tunde Adegboyega Adekeye as replacement to Vice Admiral Samuel Afolayan as Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).
A statement signed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Uffot Ekaette, said the President also approved Adekeye's promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral (three star general).
The statement said Adekeye's appointment takes effect from August 1, 2005. By the appointment, Adekeye becomes the 15th indigenous Chief of Naval Staff.
Before his appointment Adekeye, 53, a native of Offa in Kwara State was the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command.
At various times, Adekeye commanded NNS Brass, NNS Damisa, NNS Enyimiri and NNS Aradu. He also served as Defence Adviser to the country in Cameroon, Commanding Officer NNS Victory, NNS Pathfinder and NNS Delta.
Born June 15, 1952, Adekeye joined the Navy on June 28, 1972 as a member of the 12 Regular Course and was commissioned as a gunnery officer from NNS Drona Chariya, Cochin in India. He did his staff course at the Royal Navy Staff College, Greenwich London and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru Jos.
Adekeye will be inheriting a Navy with low moral, obsolete and depleted fleet. His appointment is expected to result in the exit of some of his senior colleagues who will in military parlance become "un-deployable."
The likes of Rear Admiral Christopher Ehanmo, Director at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru Jos, Rear Admiral Joseph Ajayi, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Rear Admiral Amos Adedeji, Commandant of the National War College who are members of Courses 8 and 9 are likely to be retired.
Report has it that Adekeye had always been in the forefront of the war against pirates and crude oil thieves in the Niger Delta area.
He recently told journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State that his command had arrested several pirates and crude oil thieves and that they had been handed over to the police.
He also narrated how difficult it had been fighting illegal bunkerers in the Niger Delta area, and that he had always been under presure to release impounded vessels and barges arrested for their involvement in bunkering.
According to him, "it has been extremely difficult , we had always been under pressure by bunkerers from within and outside the Niger Delta region. They wanted us to yield to their request which has been against the interest of the economy of the nation."
He had revealed that no fewer than 112 illegal bunkerers and sea pirates were arrested by naval personnel combing the water ways in the Eastern Command of the force in search of crude oil thieves.
Admiral Adekeye said four foreigners, including two Ghanaians, a Togolese and a Beniniose were among those arrested, while 48 barges, nine self propelled barges, six tug boats and 10 wooden canoes belonging to the illegal bunkerers were arrested, with the products.a