The Akwa Ibom State Government has promised the Nigerian Navy ship, Jubilee, Ikot Abasi, that it will provide two gunboats for the command to enable it to curb the activities of pirates in the state.
It was learnt that the activities of the hoodlums had paralysed fishing business and marine transportation in Akwa Ibom South, which harbour many islands and fishing communities.
The state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, who said this during the valedictory service organised by the NNS Jubilee in honour of the outgoing commander, David Adeniran, on Friday, assured that government was ready to work with the Navy towards the protection of lives and property in all parts of the state.
Emmanuel, who was represented at the event by his Senior Special Adviser on Labour, Mr. Ekpenyong Eyinma, said, “The Akwa Ibom State Government will soon fulfil its promise to provide the Nigerian Navy ship with two gunboats to help curb militancy and activities of pirates in the state.”
Adeniran, who commended the governor for his roles in assisting the ship in combating crime, urged government at all levels to create employment for the teeming youths in the country.
The outgoing commander, who described unemployment as the greatest threat to Nigeria’s security, added that inasmuch as there were millions of unemployed youths around, the security of the country would remain threatened as the propensity for them to go into crime would be high.
According to him, “Security was not about wielding guns. If the youths are unemployed, no government can safely talk about crime reduction.”
While not ruling out the possibility of crime after full employment, Adeniran maintained that once employment had been generated, there would be less crime in the society.
“Security is not just about carrying guns; if the people are unemployed, you cannot talk about security. That is why we have been struggling for ALSCON to reopen and absorb Nigerian youths so that we can have less crime in the society,” he said.
He maintained that conflicts could be resolved through dialogues without resorting to the barrels of guns.
He noted that if there was any lesson democracy could teach the military, it was that of the dialogue.
Adeniran revealed that the NNS Jubilee was able to secure the state waterways as the ship had to work with other security agencies.
The incoming commanding officer of the ship, Commodore Saidu Garba, said he would commence security visits to all the stakeholders in the state.
He stated that his mandate is to ensure security of lives and property along the state waterways as he had been briefed on the enormous responsibility ahead of him.
Discussion about this post