45th National Day: Calabar Welcomes Cameroon Navy

Politique

LUKONG Pius NYUYLIME | 22-05-2017 06:05

Le Ntem, Cameroon’s navy warship anchored at the NNS Victory Naval Base yesterday, Thursday, 18 as part of activities to mark the 2017 National Day.

It was an open exhibition of military cooperation between Cameroon and Nigeria yesterday when Cameroon’s navy warship, Le Ntem arrived in Calabar. The ship which left Douala three days earlier having as Ship Captain, Commander Melinda Elingui Betrand and six navy officers among others was welcomed by the Cameroon Consul in Calabar, Michel Auguste Atangana, and a battery of Nigerian navy officers led by Rear Admiral, P.A. Onaji of the Eastern Naval Command. Also, on hand to welcome the Cameroon navy was Col. Tatason Vikram Baba, Defence Attache at the Cameroon High Commission in Abuja. Three Nigerian naval vessels penetrated the channel to the naval base as far as 90 kilometres to ensure a smooth entry into Calabar of the Ntem P108. “ It is usually necessary to guide the navy commander because he is assumed not to have the local knowledge of where he is going to”, Pilot Mohammed Bida, Chief Pilot of the Calabar Pilotage District said on board the Ntem.

The presence of the Cameroon Navy warship in Calabar on the occasion of the 45th National Day is not by mistake. The Cameroon navy has been significantly active in the Gulf of Guinea where piracy has witnessed an unprecedented increase threatening business activities in the coast from Senegal right down to Angola. Commander Melinda Elingui Betrand and his team will happily join the rest of Cameroonians in Nigeria on May 20 to give the National Day a befitting celebration. Coordinated by H.E. Michel Auguste Atangana, a series of activities will be organised in Calabar ahead of this day. The said activities include a guided visit to the Cameroon Consulate, a visit to the Nigerian Naval set up and a football encounter between the Cameroon and Nigerian navy.

Highly awaited on May 20 celebration is the merrymaking on board the Ntem where many Cameroonians together with some Nigerians will join together to express the brotherliness of the two nations.