The Rivers State Government has restated its commitment to partner the military in tackling the security challenges in the state and country in general.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George, while addressing a delegation from the Defence Headquarters, Abuja in his office in Port Harcourt during a courtesy call, said the government’s commitment to addressing security challenges, was demonstrated in Governor Nyesom Wike’s continuous support to security agencies in the provision of logistics for their operations.
Tam-George disclosed that Rivers State was the only state in the South-South that has recorded less security breaches, especially in terms of damage on oil facilities.
He said the governor has donated over 150 security vehicles to the joint security task force in the state, while an aggressive anti-cultism and pipelines vandalism campaign was being carried out to sensitize the people and create awareness against criminal activities.
The commissioner said the increase in criminal activities in the society was “symptomatic of the economic deficiencies in the system which have created dissatisfaction among the people.”
He called for the repeal of obsolete laws that dispossess the people of their sense of ownership and natural entitlements as part of solutions to the imbalances in Nigeria’s federalism.
Tam-George pointed out that the Rivers State Government was poised to run a knowledge-driven economy that will explore the creative potentials of the youth for self development, through various empowerment programmes.
He said the state government has earlier empowered over 35,000 persons through a N2billion loan facility obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Earlier, the Director of Information, Defence Headquarters, Abuja, Brigadier-General Rabe Abubarkar, who led the delegation, said the visit was part of the media tour of the six geopolitical zones of the country to seek collaboration with critical stakeholders to address security challenges in the country.
He solicited the cooperation of the state government and the media to enhance a harmonious working relationship. Abubakar said the military was committed to professional best practices in the discharge of its constitutional duties of ensuring the protection of lives and property in the society.
He said the military has won the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, noting that the epicentre of the insurgency, which is Sambisa forest, will now be used as a military training centre.

Beemene Taneh