Navy chief vows to address accommodation shortage

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, has promised to continue addressing issues of inadequate accommodation in the Navy to boost the morale of officers.

The naval boss stated that the Navy is facing challenges with accommodation, which has resulted in some officers living outside the barracks.

Ogalla, however, noted that the Navy has begun rehabilitating some projects and reviving abandoned ones.

He made this statement during inspections and commissioning of projects implemented by the Headquarters of Naval Training Command in Port Harcourt and at Ebubu Eleme Naval Complex.

The naval chief said, “We are rehabilitating and bringing back abandoned accommodations to become useful for us because we have a very serious challenge of inadequate accommodation. We have put all our resources to make sure that whichever one we can do is done properly, in addition to the new ones that we are building in Port Harcourt and other areas.”

He also reiterated the Navy’s commitment to prioritizing the welfare of its personnel, especially in providing decent accommodation.

Ogalla commended the Headquarters of Naval Training Command, Ebubu Eleme, for embarking on projects aimed at uplifting the morale of officers within the command.

The naval chief urged other commands to emulate the Headquarters Naval Training Command, stating that such efforts would help the Navy provide accommodation for all its personnel, especially those currently living outside the barracks.

“The Flag Officer Commanding Headquarters Naval Training Command and his team have done very well within a record time because some of these projects started barely in June and July this year. You can see that they have been completed, and that’s a very big achievement. I commend them for that, and I encourage all other commands and officers to emulate this command,” he said.

Earlier, the Flag Officer Commanding Headquarters Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Ebubu Eleme, Rivers State, Rear Admiral Istafanus Albara, appreciated the Chief of Naval Staff for his support to the command.

He noted that since the relocation of the command from Lagos to Rivers State in May 2024, it has made considerable achievements in infrastructural development. These include the construction of a parade ground and pavilion, renovation of two additional blocks of 47 rooms each for ratings’ accommodation, construction of the Command Training House, and renovation of the officers’ and ratings’ messes, among others.

Some of the projects commissioned by the Chief of Naval Staff include 56 units of one-bedroom flats at Naval College Borikiri, Port Harcourt, a new parade ground at the NAVTRAC Headquarters Ebubu, and the Command Training House, among others.