Bayelsa:Maritime Workers Decry Incessant Pirates Attack, Demand For Safer Waterways
By Amos Okioma
LAGOS APRIL 29TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria has decried the incessant attacks by sea pirates along the Bayelsa state workers especially the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, and therefore appealed to Bayelsa state to come to their rescue.
The Chairman of Otuan Unit of the Maritime Workers union Comrade Joseph Shadrack stated this while speaking to journalists.
According to him , apart from the insecurity in the water ways where one of its members was shot dead and the boat was stolen by sea pirates at Otuan Water side, the union has consistently appealed to the state government to beef up security and assist the union with loans to buy more equipment and standard boats, as the sea pirates capitalized on the their obsolete boats compared to the sophisticated ones they use to intimidate , over power them and terrorize them on the rivers incessantly.
” We have been appealing to the state government to beef up security to make the water ways safer for traders and transporters to enhance commercial activities in the state” he said.
He said in most cases when the sea pirates strike they dispossessed passengers and travelers of their money , goods and even raped the female victims and cart away their boats until Good Samaritan will come to their rescue .
” We call on the state government to embark on regular patrol as the security agencies on the waterways provided by oil and gas companies usually feigned excuses that they were not in the area for patrol, but only to secure the facilities of the oil companies in the areas ” he lamented.
“We also call on the oil and gas companies operating in the areas to embark on securing the waterways as parts of their corporate social responsibilities.”
He however commended the political parties and the Independent Electoral Commission for their patronage , the electoral umpire alone chartered thirty boats to facilitate transportation of staff and electoral materials to their destinations.
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Posted by News Rangers
on Apr 29 2019. Filed under National.
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