The Nigerian Navy is to use the ‘Body Mass Index’ to check and promote physical fitness and mental alertness of personnel of the Service.
The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas, made this known at the Fourth Quarter Route March on Saturday in Abuja.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of whether a person has a healthy weight, and also a calculated number representing a person’s level of fat or obesity level.
The Naval Chief said that physical training remained the bedrock of the Naval personnel’s daily mental and physical readiness for onshore and offshore duties.
Ibas, who was represented by Rear Adm. Begroy Ibe-Enwo, the Chief of Policy and Plans, Naval Headquarters, said that it was imperative for personnel to be physically fit at all times.
“As you are aware, the Nigerian Navy is primarily responsible for the protection of the nation’s maritime domain and also a major contributor to the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security arrangement.
“The Nigerian Navy is also a major participant in internal security duties all over the country. This makes it imperative for us to be physically fit at all times.
“Thus, the exercise and physical training remains the bedrock of Naval personnel’s daily mental and physical readiness for sea and ashore duties.
“It is pertinent to restate here that the commitment of the Nigerian Navy toward enhancing mental and physical fitness has yielded dividends as witnessed by the sterling contributions of the Service to national security, peace and prosperity,” he said.
Ibas noted that it was in recognition of this fact and the desire of the Service to keep the personnel physically fit that the route march among other events were sustained in its schedule of events.
He commended the Administration Branch of the Service for organising the route march ‘’which is very important for the physical and mental alignment of the participants.”
He cautioned officers not to engage in acts of misdemeanor or take the laws into their hands in order to avoid bringing the Service into disrepute during the festive period and in the course of their duty.
Ibas equally urged the personnel to show dedication to duty and unflinching support to “our democracy and constituted authority.”
Read also; Navy Board Approves Promotion of 140 Naval Officers
