For Safety On Our Waterways

All over the world marine transportation is vital,
crucial and contributes a substantial amount to the economic development of the people because of the strategic role it plays in resource generation.
This has made government at all levels to place high premium on the waterways by jealously protecting aquatic resources, especially now that crude oil production is no longer fashionable.
It is obvious that the security apparatus of a state is a combination of the police, air force, navy, civil defence and the army, among others. Therefore they must synergise to share necessary information that will keep criminals at bay.
That is why the recent visit of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone 6 Calabar, AIG Adisa Baba Abolata to Rivers State on a familiarisation tour of the state was not a tea-party, it was intended to rub minds with the stakeholders which are primary beneficiaries of a peaceful environment.
The meeting was held to share sensitive information on the high crime rate in Rivers State, especially on the waterways which are flash-points for criminal elements, especially during the Christmas and New Year periods.
Regrettably, the waterways have continuously been the target point of  hoodlums, sea pirates, bandits, armed robbers and common criminals. Marine operators have consistently cried out for help as the creeks and waterways have turned out to be the den of robbers.
The ordeal on the waterways is most imagined than witnessed as women are sometimes molested, raped and robbed in their quest for their daily bread. The frequent incidences of kidnapping through the waterways are horrific and traumatic as the criminals operate on a higher frequency without any interruption. Sometimes passengers and travellers including fishermen are robbed and killed without any provocation.
Furthermore, available data show that the Christmas and New Year have high level of vulnerability to incredible incidents that expose commuters to danger and unbearable risk.
The familiarisation tour of the AIG was apt as it would strengthen existing cordial relationship among the citizenry and the police and re-engineer the modalities and methodologies of information gathering and sharing to nail criminality in the state to the barest minimum.
As the AIG’s visit calls for a robust and efficient relationship between the police and the general public, there is the need for safety precaution among marine transporters and more marine patrol on the waterways by the police.
The commendation of CP Musa Kimo by the AIG is enough motivation that will help in combating crime in the state. As the police through the AIG promised security and surveillance technologies on our waterways, he admitted that they are not witch-doctors and soothsayers to fish out criminals without the collaboration of the stakeholders.
One can therefore deduce that the provision of the surveillance equipment on our waterways will be the high point of the visit and with the provision of the gadgets, marine safety will be less cumbersome which will accelerate the arrest of criminals including bunkering activities.
Notwithstanding the AIG’s visit, the Nigerian police, Rivers State Command, suffered another casualty by the killing of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in-charge of Rumuokoro by robbers barely few days after his visit. The police had earlier promised to conceal the identity of police informants on the killing  to forestall reprisal attack by criminals.
Since the police are not soothsayers, or diviners, there is need to share information that might lead to the arrest of suspected criminal cartels and help the police to protect the people adequately.
In conclusion, the ability of the police to be effective also depends on the motivation they get from the government in the area of the provision of safety equipment and sophisticated weapons to over-run the hoodlums and those dreaded criminals.
Dukor wrote from Port Harcourt.

Pius Dukor