Rebecca Ejifoma
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral, Awwal Gambo, Thursday, charged Navy Holdings Ltd with the need to deploy capable and reliable expertise to assist its development partner, Messrs Jewel Shelter Constructs Ltd towards ensuring the completion of the project.
He made this call at the flag-off of the 10 hectares of housing development for Nigerian Navy personnel both serving, retired and the public at Admiralty Shelter Estate Topo, Badagry Lagos on Thursday.
According to Gambo, there should be no shortcuts at the expense of safety and quality delivery. He said, “The Nigerian Navy expects high standards, corporate responsibility, ethical compliance and due diligence in line with global best practices.”
The CNS further admitted: “The Nigerian Navy is aware that shelter constitutes a very significant part as the second most essential basic need, considering that it is where an individual grows and matures as a dependable part of society.”
He, therefore, described the initiative as another significant milestone amongst many others in the comprehensive transformation plan articulated for infrastructural development towards the effective discharge of our constitutional mandate.
“The impact of affordable housing on personnel welfare cannot be quantified as it is adjudged a veritable tool for motivation and morale booster for operational efficiency.
“It is in this regard, the Nigerian Navy over the years continued to prioritise home ownership in the hierarchy of its preferences,” he noted.
With the commissioning of 147 houses at Cluster H at the Admiralty Estate, Asokoro and 150 units of Post Service Housing at the Navy Estate Karshi Phase 3, Gambo outlined that this would ameliorate accommodation challenges.
While appreciating the President, Muhammadu Buhari, for his tremendous support to the Nigerian Navy towards the actualisation of its constitutional mandate, Gambo also thanked the state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his immense assistance.
He acknowledged: “The relationship between the Nigerian Navy and Lagos State Government has been most cordial and rewarding.”
He also commended the Akran of the Badagry Kingdom, De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi; the GMD of Navy Holdings Ltd; the MD of Naval Building Construction Company Ltd for the laudable initiative, and Jewel Shelter Constructs Ltd.
“This is the way to go,” he added. “It is, therefore, instructive that the Nigerian Navy personnel and the public take advantage of this rare opportunity to own a home of their own in the Badagry Area.”
