NIGERIA WILL NOT LOSE TONGEJI ISLAND IN OGUN STATE LIKE IT DID tYo BAKASSI PENINSULA IN CAMEROON- SENATOR GBENGA DANIEL 21-11-23
By Sadiq Aminu The Chairman Senate Committee on Navy, and former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Gbenga Daniel, has expressed confidence that Nigeria will not lose Tongeji Island in Ogun State like it did to Bakassi Peninsula in Cameroon.
Senator Daniel stressed that the Federal Government can not afford to lose the rich oil Island for any alternative.
The Senate Committee Chairman, who led other members, made the remarks when he visited the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral, Mustapha Hassan, during an oversight functions of the Western Naval Command, Lagos.
Tongeji Island located at the border between Nigeria and Benin Republic in Ipokia local government Area of Ogun state can be accessed by water in almost two hours would have been lost to Benin Republic in 2016 but for the Nigerian Navy which transformed the place by building school, hospital and putting other infrastructure and maintaining a forward operation base there.
Senator Daniel, who expressed concern over the state of abandonment of the oil rich Tongeji Island in said that the federal government and the committee were strategizing on what to do to ensure that Nigeria does not lose Tongeji.
Senator Daniel noted that the construction of a navy jetty in the Badagry area of Lagos is apt, as Tongeji Island is like something that is sitting on the wealth of the nation.
The chairman senate Committee on Navy pointed out that the Nigerian Navy has lots of well trained personnel with lots of potentials and that he would see to it that the navy is properly funded to motivate them to perform their functions.
On his part The Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan, disclosed that he was scheduled to visit Tongeji Island along with the Ogun State government to work out modality for further protection of the Island.
Rear Admiral Hassan said that the visit and other necessary amenities to protect the Island would be put in place.
Senior officers of the command were in attendance during the courtesy visit.