Mr Erastus Awortu, Chairman, Andoni local government area in Rivers has applauded the Nigerian Navy’s efforts toward crime reduction and piracy across the country’s territorial waters.
Awortu made this known on Friday in Oyorokotor, a fishing settlement in Andoni area council of Rivers during a brief stopover at a Navy patrol boat on site at the waterway.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Oyorokotor fishing hub shared a sea boader with some west African countries within the Gulf of Guinea.
Addressing some Naval Officers on patrol, the council chairman said he chose to embark on a tour of some fishing settlements in the coastal area to ascertain the level of peace and cooperation among the local security operatives.
“Oyorokoto is a coastal community and one of the fishing hubs promoting small and medium scale businesses in this area. But in the recent past, the area was plagued by insecurity and sea piracy causing untold hardship on fishing livelihood.
“We shall be visiting few fishing settlements today, communities of Ama Nsan, Ibotokpon Mbaba and Oyorokoto Ete, the essence is to acertain the level of security and also map out ways to improve the living conditions of inhabitants.
“We want to ensure that residents of these fishing settlements benefit from basic social services like functional schools and health care system,” he said.
The Andoni Council Chairman also appealed for more support from Officers to enable them repel attacks by sea pirates and other criminal elements in Andoni waterways.
“We need the support of the Navy to help us achieve peace within the Andoni waterways. I have established a good relationship with men of the Nigerian Navy deployed to Andoni waterways.
“I’m hopeful that this relationship would be beneficial to our effort towards addressing insecurity in the area,” he added.(NAN)