Senate Tasks Security Agencies On Safe Waterways

The Nigerian Senate yesterday charged security agencies to step up surveillance on the Bonny- Port-Harcourt waterways.
The charge  followed a motion on piracy attacks on Bonny – Port-Harcourt waterways which was sponsored by Senator Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers West).The motion was seconded by Senator George Thompson Sekibo ( Rivers East)
The Senate accordingly, also mandated the committee on works to ensure adequate funding in the 2020 budget for the completion of the Bonny – Port Harcourt waterways.
Presenting the motion, Senator Apiafi,  recalled how four boats were attacked on the  26th September, 2019 by pirates, dispossessed the passengers of their property and even kidnapped some of them.
Her words: “This unprecedented challenge on the Bonny-Port-Harcourt waterways has put many travellers at risk, and almost on a daily basis armed bandits kidnap commuters,”
According to her, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLG) will soon commence its project along that route, adding that “this will increase traffic along the waterways and put more lives at risk”.
Senator Sekibo in his contribution , said the activities of sea pirates had led to the abduction, killing and rape of Nigerians using the waterways.
At the Thursday plenary session, five bills scaled first reading .
The bills are: Federal Polytechnic Kano Bill,  sponsored by Senator Jibrin Barau ( Kano North); Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract 2004 Act, sponsored by Senators Albert Akpan (Akwa-Ibom North East) and Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South).
Others are: Flag and Coat of Arms Act 2019 bill, by Senator Olalekan Mustapha, Federal University, Wukari Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Bwacha and
City University of Technology, Auchi (Est.) Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Francis Alimikhena, (Edo North);
The bills were referred to the relevant committees  for further legislative work.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja