The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Eastern Ports, AIG Abdulmajeed Ali has said sincere efforts were on by the Federal Government to restore activities of the ports in the Niger-Delta as soon as possible.
AIG Ali disclosed this while speaking with newsmen at NPA, Port Harcourt.
He said the major factor that affected Ports in the Niger-Delta was insecurity which led to the creation of a special Police Zone for Eastern Ports by the Inspector General of Police.
He added that in an effort to restore confidence of importers and major stakeholders, a Commissioner of Police was also posted to each of the Ports in the Zone with improved security arrangements.
He said the Police will continue to engage stakeholders on the need for the people to cooperate with the Federal government to make the ports fully operational.
“Before now, there used to be activities in the ports with heavy-duty ships berthing and all that but because of the insecurity all that stopped.
“The insecurity discouraged those involved in the sector to take off and relocate to Lagos. There was kidnapping, sea piracy and so on.
“But as you can see, the Federal government is working hard to revamp the security in the Eastern Ports and that is why the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris mni, decided to create this Zone to provide adequate security within and outside the ports.
“Our responsibility is to complement what the Navy and other relevant agencies are doing. And I can tell you for sure that the Federal government is committed to reviving the ports.
“All we want is for traditional rulers, religious leaders and other leaders of thought to talk to their children, their youths to stop these criminal activities so that the economy of the Niger Delta can compete with that of Lagos,” Ali said.
Ports within the Eastern zone include Warri, Calabar as wells as Onne and Port Harcourt both in Rivers state.
