The Rivers State Governor, Chef Nyesom Wike, has declared his interest to partner with the Republic of Ireland to promote the overall security of the state.
Wike made the declaration during a courtesy visit by the Ambassador of Ireland to Nigeria, Mr Seun Hoy, at Government House, Port Harcourt, Saturday.
The governor told the Irish envoy that creating conducive environment for investors to operate in the state was his administration’s priority.
“We have been able to reduce the level of criminality, such as kidnapping, armed robbery and cultism. This is because of our robust collaborations with the police and other security agencies in the state,” Wike asserted.
The state chief executive further stressed that it was the policy of his administration to protect the lives and property of residents, as well as the interest of multi-nationals who were investing and doing business in Rivers State.
“Without security, investment will suffer, and this will lead to unemployment and eventually boil down to insecurity”, Wike explained.
He also said his government would eliminate the issue of multiple taxation because it has hindered business growth in the state.
Speaking earlier, the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Seun Hoy, who was on a tour of Rivers and Bayelsa states, noted that both states are located in economically important parts of Nigeria.
Hoy said that: “Without the Niger Delta, there is no economy in Nigeria”, explaining that this why his country was placing serious importance to the security and development of the region as part of efforts to boost its bilateral relations with Nigeria.
The ambassador said he had visited the facilities of Shell Companies in Nigeria and Total Oil Companies, and had also inspected the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone Port facilities because Ireland and Nigeria had a joint capacity building programme.
He further explained that “if ports are not working, it is a bottleneck to economic growth”.