On Tuesday in Calabar, the National Emergency Management Authority sought greater cooperation with the Nigerian Navy in disaster management. According to a statement issued by Acting Base Information Officer Sub-Lt. Chris Gaga, the NEMA Director General, Mustapha Ahmed, made the plea through a team led by Mr Fortunatus Anyanwu to NNS Victory in Calabar.
The director general thanked the navy for its prompt response during a boat tragedy that resulted in the deaths of some medical students in a statement issued on Tuesday.
On Saturday in Calabar, a NNS VICTORY gunboat responded quickly to a distress call and rescued 11 people, including Nigerian Medical Students Association students.
Several people have praised the brave effort, including Cross River Governor Bassey Otu and the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association.
They expressed trust in the Nigerian Navy's capabilities.
The navy, according to the director general, remains a major player in search and rescue operations, particularly in the maritime environment, as well as other disaster management in the country.
He recalled the navy's critical participation in rescue operations, relief material movement, and palliative distribution to flood victims in 2022.
“This further reiterated the effectiveness of navy units as part of the architecture for disaster response management in the country.
“The National Emergency Management Agency will always seek the support of the Navy in disaster management,” he said.
Commodore Vincent Gbaranwi, Commander, NNS VICTORY, emphasized in his statement that the navy would continue to guarantee safety and security to people and property in the nation's maritime ways.
He told the NEMA delegate that search and rescue was a legislative responsibility of the military and a major component of the Chief of the Naval Staff Strategic Directives.
While commending the sailors who assisted in the rescue attempts, the captain reminded mariners to always follow fundamental maritime safety regulations to avoid such distress situations in the future.
The bloated remains of three medical students reported missing after a boat disaster on Saturday were recovered on Monday, according to reports.
