Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State government has stated that maritime criminality, specifically high sea robbery, is the biggest threat to socio-economic development in the state.
State deputy governor Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah, who disclosed this during a parley he had with a delegation of Course 3 of the Nigerian Naval War College on study tour of the state, said there are many places in the eastern part of the state that do not have security presence.
According to him, there is need for the navy to establish permanent naval bases, like the one in Koluama, Southern Ijaw local government of the state, so as to curb the myriad of maritime criminality in the area.
He solicited for more partnership with the Bayelsa State government, noting that the state government would embrace all the required assistance the study tour can offer the state.
“We need more bases to show presence in Bayelsa. There are some areas in Bayelsa State towards the eastern axis that has no security governance,” he said.
“They are just there. And these are the breeding grounds of those miscreants that come out to harass innocent people and go back to hide. You may need look at it and recommend how we can establish permanent bases in those areas to control their activities. Sadly some of those areas have been defined as epicentre of maritime criminality. It is not good. The JTF went there recently and threw most of them out but as long as you go there and you don’t stay there permanently they re-group. Those are the challenges we have. Maritime criminality as long as it exists poses a threat to a state like Bayelsa socio-economic development. We are ready to partner and continue to collaborate with you. We thank the security agents for their efficient working relation among them.”
The leader of the delegation and Commandant of the college, Rear Admiral Adeseye Oke Ayobanjo, introduced the theme of the study tour as ‘Combating Sea-robbery Towards Enhancing Socio-economic Development in Bayelsa State’.
Ayobanjo explained that though “security agencies are already doing so much towards ensuring the socio-economic development of the state and indeed the people of Bayelsa,” he added that “there are a good number of security challenges that needs to be addressed and that is why we carrying out such study so that the Naval War College Nigeria would be among those institutions proffering workable solutions to Bayelsa State.”