By Nurat Uthman
AKWA Ibom State Government has launched 14 gunboats in the renewed onslaught against maritime crimes in the state waterways.
Governor Umo Eno and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, jointly performed the inauguration yesterday at the Nigerian Naval Ship base, NNS Jubilee Jetty, Ikot Abasi as take-off assets for the state’s newly created Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways.
The governor said, “This event is a milestone in our determined efforts to secure our waterways, protect critical economic assets and combat unwholesome activities along our coastline.
“With the 14 gunboats, this programme will also mitigate activities of pirates and other criminal elements within the coastal communities. This will boost our blue economy, water transportation, within and with neighbouring states while improving livelihoods of our people within the coastal communities.”
He clarified that the state’s improved waterways security infrastructure will operate as a joint task force led by the Nigerian Navy with support from sister agencies and some locals with good understanding of the maritime environment who may be profiled and coopted through the Ibom Community Watch programme.
“Let me emphasize here that these operations will be led by the security agencies, led by the Nigerian Navy, but with support from people who understand the maritime environment and the coastal communities. These people will eventually be integrated into the Ibom Community Watch.
“We promised during our campaigns that we will turn our coastline towns such as Oron, Ibeno, Eastern Obolo, Ikot Abasi and rest of them into tourism havens and boost economic activities in these areas. We are determined to develop all parts of our dear state and create jobs for our teaming youths,” the Governor affirmed.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ogalla, hailed Governor Eno’s venture to explore the blue economy as visionary, given the potentials in the sector to boost the economy of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria as a whole.
He said the state’s acquisition of the 14 patrol boats demonstrates Eno administration’s seriousness about maritime safety for business, pledging Navy’s commitment to ensure Akwa Ibom gets the best of security, as he declared “game over” for criminal elements in the area, proclaiming Akwa Ibom coastline a no crime zone.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Waterways, General Koko Essien Rtd, said the Akwa Ibom coastline, besides its long stretch of over 129km, has many adjoining rivers emptying into it and providing safe areas for criminals, affirming that the launch of the 14 patrol boats portends business collapse for waterways criminals
