Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called for increased collaboration and intelligence sharing among stakeholders across the South-South geo-political zone to enhance peace and security in the region.
The governor made the call on Thursday during the South-South Zonal Public Hearing on National Security, organised by the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on National Security Summit, held in Port Harcourt.
Fubara, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Benibo Anabraba, stressed that security is a “shared responsibility and concern of every person”, not just the government.
He stated that the summit was timely, given that security challenges in the region drain national revenue, damage the environment, and put lives and property at risk.
The governor affirmed that his administration has assiduously pursued its constitutional responsibility by partnering with the Federal Government and various security agencies, providing essential equipment like operational vehicles, boats, and aircraft, alongside support for personnel welfare.
“This distinguished gathering is a testament to our commitment and synergy towards a more secure, stable, and prosperous future for the South-South region and Nigeria in general”, the governor said.
Fubara urged stakeholders to adopt a “Bottom-Up Approach” in their input to policymakers, giving special attention to the region’s unique coastal topography as the gateway to the international waters of the Gulf of Guinea.
He assured participants that his administration will continue to adopt proactive measures, including intelligence sharing and the employment and empowerment of youths, in line with the summit’s theme: “The Way Forward in Tackling National Security Issues at the Local Level.”
However, the Senate Minority Leader and Chairman of the South-South Security Summit, Senator Abba Patrick Moro, noted that the summit is a deliberate effort to diagnose and collectively address the complex security challenges facing Nigeria.
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He emphasised that the Senate, as a responsive institution, recognizes that “no security act can succeed without a clear understanding of local dynamics and peculiarities.”
Moro assured the gathering of security experts, traditional rulers, community leaders, and civil society organisations that the information gathered will be critical.
He recommended that the summit will form the basis of the Senate’s future legislative interventions, budgetary provisions, and policy reforms aimed at revamping the national security landscape.
