The Nigerian Navy has deployed six patrol ships in the Niger Delta region to check the activities of militants operating in the area.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, disclosed this at the inauguration of the Nigerian Navy School of Health Sciences, Offa, Kwara State, on Saturday.
Adekeye, who said that the establishment of the NNSHS was part of the ongoing improvement in the navy, noted that in 2005, the navy could not boast of one sea-worthy ship.
�Right now we have six ships patrolling the Niger Delta constantly. That is why you have not heard anything from the militants of recent,� he said.
He said that the deployment of the ships became possible through the repair operation of the navy.
The CNS, who described the inauguration of the school as another milestone in the history of the Nigerian Navy, said that it was structured to meet the basic medical training requirements of navy�s medical personnel.
He said that the school was relocated from Lagos to a more suitable site in Offa to facilitate its development, growth and eventual accreditation.
He said that before the relocation of the school, three states � Benue, Kogi and Kwara, were approached to provide land and other infrastructural support for the relocation.
Adekeye said that only Kwara State responded promptly by providing land.
�We expect that with the relocation and upgrading of the school, our medical personnel would now receive better and qualitative training, which will translate to better quality health care for naval personnel and enhance our operational efficiency,� he said.
To ensure quality instruction, he said that substantial investment had gone into providing up-to-date instructional materials and teaching aids in the school.
He also said that the school would soon be affiliated to professional bodies to enable it award appropriate diploma and certificates.
The school, he said, would also extend its services to the host communities of Offa and environs.
The Minister of Defence, Ambassador Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, who inaugurated the school, praised the foresight and commitment of the leadership of the navy.
He said that the importance of training could not be overemphasised in an organisation like the navy.
Aguiyi-Ironsi assured that the Federal Government would continue to support the navy, and indeed the armed forces to be one of the best in the world.
He also stressed the multiplier effect of the school especially for the Offa community.