Navy honours slain officer

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice-Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas, has named a boat manufactured in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after the late Lieutenant Commander, Emmanuel Ugwu. 

Ugwu was killed by militants in the creeks. The boat, ‘Tug CDR Ugwu,’ was locally-built by the Nigerian Navy at the Naval Dockyard, Port Harcourt.
‘Tug CDR Ugwu’ left Port Harcourt last Monday arrived Lagos last Wednesday to partake in the Nigerian Navy Diamond Jubilee. The Nigerian Navy Diamond Jubilee commenced on Saturday, with a Jumat service on Friday. There was also an interdenominational service on Sunday.
The presentation of the Tug boat took place at Naval Base, Apapa. The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Fergusson Bobai, said: “The tug boat is one 100 per cent built at the Naval Shipyard in Port Harcourt. It is the first of its kind.
We believed that with this giant stride, we have a lot and will continue to improve. We will build more Tug boats of this kind. “The materials used in building the boat are 70 per cent sourced locally. But the engines and generators were imported.”

Bobai further said: “The materials used in building the boat are 70 percent sourced locally. But the engines and generators were imported from oversea. Ugwu was a commander of a boat in the creeks before an encounter with militants that killed him. We felt it was necessary for us to honour him. This is why Ibas said that this Tug boat should be named after him.”

Bobai explained that the boat was built, it was agreed that some gallant officers, who died in the course of duty, should be named after the boat.

“We looked at some of our officers that were killed in action and Ugwu happened to be one of them. He was killed by militants,” said Bobai.

He continued: “The tug boat will enhance our operational ability because we have always relied on the assistance of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) to give us Tug boats.”

http://newtelegraphonline.com/navy-honours-slain-officer/