ANDONI LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOSS VISITED OYOROKOTO FISHING SETTLEMENT.

ADDRESSING THE MENACE OF INSECUIRTY ON ANDONI WATERWAYS: COUNCIL CHAIRMAN SOLICITS SUPPORT OF NIGERIAN NAVY

The Chairman of Andoni Local Government Council Erastus Charles Awortu (Esq), JP, has appealed to Personnel of the Nigerian Navy deployed to the Andoni Coastal Waters to support current effort by his administration in addressing the menace of insecurity along the Andoni waterways. 

The Andoni Council Boss made the appeal when he made a brief stopover at a Navy Patrol Boat on the Oyorokoto Waters during a visit to the Fishing Settlement to assess the level of security in the area. 

Oyorokoto Coastal Community which borders the Atlantic Ocean is the Fishing Hub of Rivers State and unarguably the largest Fishing Port in West Africa. The area is plagued by issues of insecurity due to brazen attacks by Sea Pirates and other criminal gangs. 

The Andoni Council Chairman said his decision to solicit the support of Personnel of the Nigerian Navy was borne out of the need to stem the tide of attacks by Sea Pirates and other criminal elements along the Andoni waterways. 

“We need the support of the Navy to help us achieve peace within the Andoni waterways. I have established a good relationship with men of the Nigerian Navy deployed to Andoni waterways, I’m hopeful that this relationship would be beneficial to our effort towards addressing insecurity. We will also encourage the Navy in any way we can”. 

The Andoni Council Chairman Erastus Awortu while addressing the people of Oyorokoto during the visit expressed the determination of his administration to achieve lasting peace, stability and security in the Fishing Settlement in order to boost economic activities and attract investors to the area. 

He said his administration facilitated an increase in the deployment of security men to Oyorokoto and its environs which has significantly improved security in the area. 

Awortu assured that he would spare no effort to further improve the security of Oyorokoto Fishing Settlement and sustain the existing peace in the area. 

He said no amount of money spent in safeguarding the lives of the people and achieving an enduring peace in the Fishing Hub of Rivers State is a waste. 

“We are very passionate about the issue of security. It was sad and unfortunate that when you tune to the Radio you don’t hear any good thing about Andoni, what you heard was kidnapping, Sea Piracy, Cult Killing, Armed Robbery, Chieftaincy Crisis. That informed our decision to start from security because without security no meaningful development can take place. When I came into office only two security men were deployed to secure the whole of Oyorokoto and its environs which was grossly inadequate. I felt this wasn’t the right way to address the security challenges in the area. However the story is different today as we have been able to secure and facilitate increased deployment of security personnel to Oyorokoto and its environs to provide adequate security in the area. We are spending much to sustain the increased deployment of security personnel in Oyorokoto and other parts of Andoni”. 

The Andoni Council Chairman Erastus Awortu while urging the people to maintain good relationship with security operatives deployed to the area hinted that his administration has taken measures to curb the spate of attacks by Sea Pirates and other criminal elements on passenger boats conveying Fish Traders from Oyorokoto and other Coastal Communities in Andoni to Markets in neighbouring Local Government Areas. 

To this end, the Andoni Council Boss said he has directed that the Fish Traders who are mostly women be provided with security escort to and fro to forestall further attack on the Traders by the Sea Pirates along the waterways.   

He said the move is to ensure that activities of the criminals do not impact negatively on the businesses of the Small-Scale Fishermen/Fisherwomen and on the livelihoods of the Coastal Communities.    

“I have directed that adequate arrangement be made to provide security escort for Fish Traders from Oyorokoto and other Coastal Communities of Andoni. We believe this would reduce the attacks, hijack and robbery on the waterways by Sea Pirates. Security is a big problem everywhere, not just Oyorokoto, it affects the whole state and the country in general. Let us maintain a good relationship with security personnel deployed to the area by availing them with credible information and giving them other necessary support to enable them succeed in their mandate of providing security, peace and stability”. 

The Andoni Council Chairman also promised to intervene in the area of Education in Oyorokoto Fishing Settlement and also draw the attention of the relevant authorities in the Education Sector of Rivers State to the state of public schools in the area. 

Other Coastal Communities also visited by the Andoni Council Chairman Erastus Awortu include Ama Nsan, Ibotokpon Mbaba and Oyorokoto Ete.