December 01, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday called for collaborative action to resuscitate the NNS ARADU, the largest ship in the Nigerian Navy’s fleet.
The lawmakers asked President Muhammadu Buhari to take charge of the ship, and called for a stakeholders’ roundtable forum that would include the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigerian Customs and Excise, and the Nigerian Immigration Services.
They said the forum would fashion out a funding regime to facilitate the refitting and refurbishing of the Navy flagship.
The ship, according to the lawmakers, would require the $200m for a refit it or $700m for replacements of the grounded parts.
The upper chamber passed the resolution sequel to a motion considered at plenary.
The motion was sponsored by Senator George Sekibo (Rivers East), and co-sponsored by 14 other lawmakers.
Sekibo said NNS ARADU, which was commissioned February 22, 1982, is one of the first of the MEKO 360 general-purpose frigates built by one of the biggest shipbuilders in Germany.
He said ship is the largest in the Nigerian Navy’s fleet, with a length of 125.6-metres (412 ft 1 inch) and is a general-purpose frigate.
Sekibo added that the capabilities of the frigate ensured the Nigerian Navy continued to reach blue waters with the appropriate ships in terms of firepower, extended operational range and enhanced surveillance capability.
The lawmaker noted that since NNS ARADU entered the Nigerian Navy service, “she has taken part in major naval exercises, fleet reviews and diplomatic cruises ; played a prominent part in ‘Operation Seadog’ in 1985 and Operation Odion in 1987 and also undertaken extensive diplomatic visits to countries like Gabon, Congo, Zaire, Equatorial Guinea and many European countries; participated in joint exercises with visiting ships of the German, Indian, French and the Brazilian navies.”
He recalled that in 1987, barely five years after its commissioning, NNS ARADU ran aground twice and was involved in a major collision and underwent a significant local refit in 1991 at the Nigerian Navy Dockyard, Wilmot Point, Lagos.
Sekibo further stated that in 1997, the ship sailed to Monrovia, Liberia “where she participated in ECOMOG Operation for over six months and steamed back to Lagos with her engines despite losing one generator.”
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