From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A group under the auspices of Civil Society for Peace, Security and Development (CSPSD), has described the crass attacks on the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, as repugnant and smacked of a poorly orchestrated hatchet job.
Vice Admiral Ogalla has been battling allegations of collecting bribes to the tune of $170 millions to facilitate crude oil theft in connivance with foreign nationals.
The Civil Society argued that though it’s almost a waste of resources and man-hours to join issues with merchants of falsehood and deceit, tney are however constrained by mandate of fostering peace, security and development in the society to set the records straight.
Obadiah Solomon Ovye, Convener of the Civil Society, exonerated the Naval Chief of any complicity at a press conference held in Abuja on Friday.
The group alleged that a cartel of notorious crude oil thieves whose illicit business has been grounded by the tight security and tactical effectiveness of the Nigerian Navy in the onslaught against oil bunkering in the Niger Delta enlisted the services of some unpatriotic elements to launch a smear campaign against him.
He said: “We gather to expose the hypocrisy and baselessness of the unfounded allegations being peddled against the impeccable personality of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ogalla by those he has put out of business as he tightens the noose on oil thieves and other unwholesome activities in the oil rich Niger Delta region.”
“Their crass attacks are to say the least, repugnant and smack of a poorly orchestrated hatchet job. While it’s almost a waste of resources and man-hours to join issues with merchants of falsehood and deceit, we are constrained by our mandate of fostering peace, security and development in the society to set the records straight.
“Credible intelligence at our disposal has it that a cartel of notorious crude oil thieves whose illicit business has been grounded by the tight security and tactical effectiveness of the Nigerian Navy in the onslaught against oil bunkering in the Niger Delta has enlisted the services of some unpatriotic elements to launch a smear campaign against Vice Admiral Ogalla.
“The game plan involves sponsoring vicious media attacks against the Chief of Naval Staff with the hope of pressuring President Bola Tinubu to sack him as he has been known to be a courageous and dedicated anti-corruption icon. The sheer callouses of this scheme is appalling but their bag of lies has burst open and Nigerians have already known it is just a matter of corruption fighting back,” the group noted.
Enumerating the achievements of the Naval Chief since his appointment, the group noted that he has restored sanity to our maritime domain.
“There has been great improvement in the production output of Nigeria’s crude oil. The inability of Nigeria to meet up its OPEC quota has nothing to do with oil theft as insinuated. Crude oil production is largely dependent on creating the enabling environment.
“We, therefore, pass a well-deserved vote of confidence on the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ogalla, a true and unfazed patriot who has restored sanity to our maritime domain. We stand solidly behind him and shall continue to mobilise our people to support him and Mr President for the good work they are doing. May Nigeria,” he said.