The Rivers State government has reacted to the spike in attacks at sea which has led to many boat travellers kidnapped or killed in recent times.
The government also wants to fight contract pricing rascality.
The state government was reacting to an outcry by the sea operators who have taken their plight to government with ugly tales in recent attacks.
Briefing the government at an urgent visit, Israel Waribo Pepple, chairman, Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Rivers Commercial District, reported that there have been incessant piracy attacks on the waterways including the usually safe Bonny – Port Harcourt route. The atrocious activities of the pirates are said to pose nightmares to sea travelers.
Pepple reported that sea pirate attacks on the union’s members often lead to most of them or their passengers being taken hostage or killed while their personal belongings including boats were usually carted away. He gave latest instances.
Read also: NIMASA, judiciary to sustain fight against piracy on Nigerian waters
“On Thursday, August 22, 2024, a boat sailing from Bonny to Port Harcourt was attacked by unknown gunmen, who took five passengers to an unknown destination.
“Bille Boat was attacked, the attackers went away with the boat and engine, with other valuables belonging to the passengers.”
Pepple also said: “On August 24, workers’ boat coming from Bonny to Port Harcourt was attacked by unknown gunmen, and two passengers were taken away, and till date, they are still under captivity.
“Recently, at Tourist Beach Unit, Port Harcourt, we also recorded the captivity of a driver, deckhand, and occupants in the boat with two police officers on escort.
“The unknown gunmen are demanding N10m as ransom for their release. These and many more are taking place in other units like Okrika, Kula, Bakana, Oyorokoto, Abonnema, etc,” he emphasised.
Pepple expressed displeasure over what he described as the inability of security agencies to do the needful to protect lives and property of law-abiding citizens operating on the sea routes.
He stated that, what they do, rather, is to focus attention mostly on Multinational Oil Companies (IOCs), their equipment and workers due to the economic advantage they derive therefrom.
He called on Governments to save the souls of their teeming members whose means of sustenance have consistently been threatened, and have lost so much to sea pirates and men of the under-world.
He also wants the Government to ensure the release recently kidnapped passengers and provision of gun/house boats at strategic locations for random patrol on the waterways in the State.
“Provision of financial support to the affected passengers and boat operators have suffered great loss due to the unforeseen tragedy,” he pleaded.
Responding, Gov Sim Fubara frowned at the attacks in the State, and vowed to fight back. He reassured the commitment of his administration to the security of lives and property with freedom to go about freely.
Governor Fubara who was represented by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, George Nwaeke (PhD), commended the union members for performing their civic obligation by reporting criminality in their places of business to the authority.
Governor Fubara reiterated that his administration was deeply interested in ensuring proper policing of every part of the State, which is why, he explained that the Rivers State Government has placed priority on peace, security of lives and property of residents.
“The Governor is interested in proper policing of our State. But, you know the community policing that you hear about; people think that it is for us to form police in communities.
“Every person here is a community police. Whatever you see, you report, and whatever you think that is not very right, you give information to the right places. So, what you have done now is a civic responsibility, and I want to tell you that it will not be taken lightly,” he assured.
Gov Fubara insisted: “So, to me, what you have done, you call it a protest, but it is not a protest. It is a civic responsibility, showing that having observed something, you are reporting it to the appropriate quarters.
“I want to assure you that this government will not leave any stone unturned to bring security to every person that is in this State.”
Gov Fubara considered the catalog of complaints that they made and said, no right thinking Rivers person will be happy about the wickedness of pirates on the sea routes they have listed.
The Governor said the criminal elements perpetrating those crimes, are well-known, and live in communities among the people but nobody has been very brave enough to provide information on them to the appropriate authority that will help in their arrest.
“Bring information to government, tell us about those people. This government does not condone bad habits. We do not harbour criminals in our midst.
He said: “I want to thank God that something is being done, which you may not hear all of them in the news, but just give some time, you will find out that Rivers State will still become one of the best destinations for people to come, even for tourism”.
Fight against unscreened contracts:
The governor has also taken a fight to a non-physical area, contract inflation and poor screening that leads to huge losses through contracting. The governor has appointed eight persons into the board of the state’s Board of Public Procurement (BOPP), urging members to put interest of the state first.
Those to lead the charge in that direction have already been screened and cleared by the House of Assembly (loyal to the governor). They are headed by the chairman, Lawrence Oko-Jaja, SAN/
Also screened and confirmed were Ernest Ibekwe Ekwe; Mina Ogbanga; Iseleye Amachree; Adokiye Oyagiri; Gift Alex-Hart; Grace Osaronu; and Selinah Amonieah.
The eight nominees had appeared for screening before the lawmakers shortly after the reading of the letter sent by the state governor.
The nominees took questions on how they would replicate their wealth of experience in moving the State forward in relation to Government policy implementation to ensure value for money for goods and services contracted by the State Government.
In the face of divided loyalty in the state’s political crisis, the nominees were reminded that they would hold their trust and loyalty to the State Government so as to seamlessly harmonise best practices with quality performance while enforcing probity and accountability in all procurements handled by the Bureau
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