.Naval chief says Adogu was mentor to many officers
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, senior serving and retired military officers, course mates, family members and friends yesterday paid glowing tributes to the late Commodore Bethel Chukwuma Adogu, who died after a brief illness.
Speaking at a night of tributes held in honour of late Commodore Adogu (rtd) at the Anglican Church of Redemption, Admiralty Estate, Navy Town, Asokoro, the Naval Chief described the deceased as a mentor to many officers and a highly respected figure in the Nigerian Navy.
Represented by the Director of Veterans Affairs at Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Raheem Taofeek, the Naval Chief said the death of Commodore Adogu had come as a shock to the Nigerian Navy.
He said, “He served meritoriously in the Nigerian Navy and was a mentor to many officers. He was a highly professional naval engineer who was deeply devoted to his job.
“Beyond discharging his own duties, he mentored younger officers and ensured they were well equipped to carry out their responsibilities, particularly in maintaining platforms in the Nigerian Navy.
“His passing is a shock, but we are comforted by the fact that his legacy lives on. I was a very young officer when he retired, and many engineers have benefited from his wealth of experience and his humanity.”
The Naval Chief assured the family that the late officer would be accorded full military honours at his hometown in Anambra State.
He further said, “By the special grace of God, he will be accorded full military honours at his burial in his hometown in Anambra State on the 16th. The burial party is already making preparations, and the Chief of the Naval Staff has ensured that everything is in place for a befitting burial.”
The late Commodore Adogu’s course mate and former Director of Naval Education, Commodore Amatere K (rtd), also paid tribute to the deceased, recalling their time together at the Nigerian Naval College.
He said, “He was a member of my course at the Nigerian Naval College. We were 52 officers who joined the Nigerian Navy at the same time, and he was number one on the nominal roll. We fondly called him ‘DO-1’, meaning Direct Officer Number One. I was the last person to report, so I was number last.”
The retired director described Adogu as a strong and athletic man, built like a mini-tank, who was never afraid to speak his mind and stood firmly by his convictions.
“In military training, being so outspoken can be challenging because trainees are expected to be meek and submissive so they can be moulded. However, he was never afraid to express his views, and he often found himself serving punishment, sometimes on behalf of all of us.
“He was also very generous and self-sacrificing, sometimes putting our comfort ahead of his own,” he said.
The deceased’s first daughter, Ms Chidiebere Adogu, said she would miss her father’s generosity and kind-hearted nature.
She said, “I will miss his kind nature and generosity. I miss the fact that he could be so kind to people, sometimes even to his own detriment. Most of all, I simply miss having him here with us. I miss all of him.
“It is unfortunate that death has taken him from us, but what gives me solace is knowing that every journey in this life must eventually come to an end.”