CNS: Why Gambo yet to hand over to Ogalla, Navy clears air

Following reports of a deliberate refusal by the outgoing Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral, Awwal Zubairu Gambo to formally hand over to his successor, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla over payments to contractors, and others, the Nigerian Navy has weighed in to debunk the claims.

The Nigerian Navy which described as ‘malicious, totally lies and misleading,’ the wide spread reports of refusal by Gambo to handover to Ogalla as the new CNS, said the situation portrayed in the reports was not true.

In a statement issued by the Director of Information, Commodore Ayo Vaughan on Wednesday in Abuja, the naval force said instead that the ‘handing and taking over ceremony in the Nigerian Navy from inception is procedural.’

The navy statement is titled; NIGERIAN NAVY DEBUNKS ALLEGATION BY SOME ONLINE MEDIA OF THE OUTGOING CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF’S REFUSAL TO HAND OVER.

According to the statement, the hand over procedure takes a format which include ‘the announcement of the change of the ‘Watch on deck’, the outgoing CNS is expected to give detailed brief to the incoming CNS, tour key naval facilities and perform the ceremonial lowering of ensign.’

The navy spokesperson, Vaughan, disclosed that this process has already commenced and will culminate on Friday, June 23 with the formal handover.

It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu announced a change of Service Chiefs across all the military, including para-military forces like the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Customs Service, last Monday, June 19.

New service chiefs were immediately announced same day.

Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla was appointed as the Navy’s new Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) to take over from Vice Admiral, Awwal Zubairu Gambo.

However, since the change of guards at the navy, media reports have gone viral with claims of Gambo refusing to hand over to Ogalla ‘until he (Gambo) has settled claims and other payments to contractors handling naval projects.’

“The attention of the Naval Headquarters has been drawn to a malicious publication by some online media such as Peoples Gazette, opr.news, hallmarknews and others alleging the refusal of the outgoing Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Zubair Gambo to hand over to the incoming Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral EI Ogalla.

“The media reports are totally lies, misleading and capable of spreading falsehood to unsuspecting members of the public. It is therefore necessary to put the record straight.

“Suffice to state that handing and taking over ceremony in the Nigerian Navy from inception is procedural. Upon the announcement of the change of the ‘Watch on deck’, the outgoing CNS is expected to give detailed brief to the incoming CNS, tour key naval facilities and perform the ceremonial lowering of ensign.

“Accordingly, the programme of events leading to the formal handing and taking over ceremony has kicked off to culminate at a public ceremony on Friday 23 June 2023 in line with age-long naval

tradition.

“Instructively, it is pertinent to mention that sister Services are also due to handover as they have set aside specific dates for their handing and taking over ceremonies.

“Members of the public are therefore advised to discountenance the malicious publication and erroneous information as a figment of the reporter’s imagination.

“You are please requested to disseminate this information to the general public,” the statement by

Commodore Vaughan read.