Kelechi Kas
As travellers using the Calabar river continue to groan over incessant attacks on by sea pirates on the waterways, the lawmaker representing Degema constituency in the Rivers state House of Assembly Anthony Soberekon has assured the people of the area that the issues will soon be a thing of the pasts.
He stated this when he visited Bakana Jetty in Port-Harcourt to sympathize with the people and boat owners over the recent sea pirates attacks on the Bakana waterways.
Soberekon said the issues of life vests and sea pirates attacks which is not peculiar to Bakana waters alone will be addressed to enhance peace and development in the state.
The Chairman of Bakana Boat Owners Association, Deein Davies explained that their lives of and those of their passengers are not safe on the waterways.
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Earlier in August, the people of Bille kingdom in Degema local government area of the state had said that they are yet to feel the presence of operation sting on their waterways.
Operation Sting, a new security architecture launched earlier this month by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has recorded success especially in curbing criminality along the Emohua Axis of the East-West Road.
But Alabo Bennett Okpokiye-Dokubo, Chairman Bille Council Chiefs said weeks after the launch of gunboats by Governor Nyesom Wike, the gunboats had not been put to use in Bille waterways.
According to him, Bille passengers have been able to ply the water route for the main time, through the help of Laprago security outfit stationed in Bille kingdom, which escorts passengers on a daily basis.
“We have not seen the gunboats in our axis. For two months, Laprago security outfit and the Civil Defense Corp have been escorting Bille passengers to and fro on a daily basis, they escort about 10 – 20 boats loaded with passengers in the morning and also in the evening. We are making efforts to reach out to them and know why Bille have not gotten.”
He expressed hope that the Governor’s promise of making Bille waterways safe will fulfilled.
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