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JTF Warns Oil Thieves, Pirates In N’Delta …Says, We‘ve Curtailed Boko Haram
The Commander of the Joint Task Force, in the Niger Delta, Major-Gen Beita Debiro has vowed to bring illegal bunkering to an end as he appealed to youths and oil companies to cooperate and support the outfit.
Maj Gen Debiro who made the appeal during an inspection tour of Bonny area of Rivers State, said the task force was determined to rid the area of all criminals sabotaging the pipelines and other oil facilities, warning that government was against these activities.
The Joint Task Force boss called on all Nigerians to come together to fight the scourge, as he promised to make life unbearable for those who are making life difficult for the people of the country.
According to him, ‘’the Government and all Nigerians are against these crimes and all Nigerians should come together and fight the scourge called illegal oil bunkering and piracy” he appealed.
Beita assured that men of the task force will consistently make life difficult for the perpetrators of the crime in the region while also maintaining high level of professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
During the tour, there were revelations that 17 vessels and boats have been arrested by the Sub Sector 5 of the JTF (which consists of Bonny, Andoni and Gokana areas of Rivers State) between April 2012 and July 2013.
The Tide learnt that the 146 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, and all the other components of the JTF on the Island have destroyed eight boats and vessels between April 12 and August 30, 2012, while they have arrested nine other vessels, which have all been detained at the Bonny Anchorage, Oyorokoto Jetty, Peterside, Coal Beach, Cawthorne Channel and Oloma House boat around the Bonny Island.
At the NPA Jetty, four vessels including EFCC 224, EFCC 116, Rockfish and one other were impounded, and are being guarded by men of the Joint Task Force while the crew have been taken to the Sector 2 Headquarters, Port Harcourt for further interrogation and investigations.
During the inspection, a super vessel, VLIE LAND, with a storage capacity of about 1,300 metric tons and about 100.9 metres long(the size of a football pitch) was seen grounded at the Bonny Island Beach, and guarded by men of the JTF.
According to the JTF command, the crew of the vessel are now under detention at its Port Harcourt offices for further investigations.
Speaking with journalists after the exhaustive inspection of all the formations of his outfit, JTF commander, Major General Beita Debiro, who was satisfied with the level of performance of his men, said he has not been at the area for a while, adding that his visit was necessitated by information of an upsurge in Illegal bunkering and piracy in the area.
He added that he also undertook the inspection to encourage officers of the outfit, noting that the impressive performance of the task force in the area can be seen.
‘’I have not been here for a long time, but I had to come because of certain information concerning an upsurge in Illegal bunkering and piracy in the area. You can see the efforts of the men here, we have made a lot of arrests and their performance is impressive.
I also came to encourage the men to continue to improve on their performances and to raise the morale of the officers,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Commander of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in Yobe State, Col. Ibrahim Ali, yesterday said that activities of Boko Haram insurgents had been curtailed, following the declaration of state of emergency in the state.
Ali told newsmen in Damaturu that attacks by the insurgents, especially in the volatile areas of Damaturu and Potiskum had reduced, after security forces pushed the insurgents out of their enclaves.
“We have not had any major encounter except on June 16 when they attacked a school in Damaturu. We have pushed them out of town.’’
The commander said that the JTF had discovered, particularly in Potiskum, that armed robbers had seized the opportunity to rob people under the guise of insurgency.
Ali said the situation in Yobe had remained “relatively stable’’, noting that the JTF was doing everything possible to contain the situation permanently.
He said that the task force had been having a good working relationship with members of the public, whom he said, had continued to provide vital information on the insurgents.
Ali urged the populace to continue to cooperate with security agents, saying that the JTF was aware of the inconveniences and challenges the public was facing because of the declaration of state of emergency in the state.
On allegations of long detention of suspects, the commander said that the JTF was being meticulous to ensure that only those found to have participated in criminal activities were held.
He said that suspects were made to go through careful and meticulous documentation and interrogation by a special team, made up of personnel from the police, SSS, army and the NDLEA.
Ali said that all suspects were being treated well, adding: “they eat the same food being served to my soldiers.
In another development, the Yobe State Government has appealed to the Federal Government to float an intervention fund to cushion the effects of the Boko Haram insurgency on affected states.
The Special Adviser to the State Governor on Media and Information, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Damaturu yesterday.
Bego said that while the Yobe Government was totally in support of the declaration of emergency in the state, it would also like the Federal Government to set up a fund to assist people affected by the insurgency.
He said that the state government had been cooperating and providing logistics to the Joint Task Force (JTF), tackling the security problems.
“We have provided more than 200 vehicles to the JTF in addition to paying allowances to the operatives.’’
He said that the state had spent about N4 billion a since the insurgency started, describing the insurgency as a big drain on the meagre resources of the state.
The special adviser also appealed to the Federal Government to provide modern equipment to the security agencies, praising the troops for sticking to rules of engagement.
Bego said that the state government had also disbursed about N197 million to victims of the insurgency as relief for their losses and also rehabilitated 300 classrooms destroyed by the insurgents.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.