RIVERS STATE AA GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE DECRIES INSECURITY ALONG EMOHUA-KALABARI ROAD
The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Rivers State, Dr. Dawari Ibietela George has decried the frequent recurrence of armed robbery and kidnapping along the Emohua-Kalabari road.
Dawari George said such attacks have direct negative impacts on Emohua and the neighbouring three Kalabari local government areas of Rivers State.
Dr. George, who expressed sadness that activities of the criminals along that road had led to loss of lives and revenue, regretted that rather than abate, insecurity was on the rise with regular reports of fresh assaults on travellers on the route.
In a statement in Port Harcourt on Sunday, signed by his Spokesman, Bekee Anyalewechi, Dr. George condemned the criminality and its perpetrators, even as he noted that it was a huge setback to the immediate communities and their economic prospects.
“There is no reason or excuse to justify the criminality along that important and busy route. That route connects critical Rivers communities and major ethnic groups and so, it’s economical as well as historical”.
Dr. George added that by the frequent traffic along the route, heavy economic transactions, which add to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Rivers State are carried out.
He, therefore, described as unacceptable such acts that would not only affect the economic traffic among the communities but would also create suspicion against peaceful coexistence.
“This is absolutely condemnable, unacceptable and should not be allowed to stay”.
The AA governorship candidate, who commended security agencies over their efforts so far to secure that critical route, however tasked them to increase their presence in the area through modern and tech-driven surveillance and intelligence gathering.
“While we commend security agencies for their efforts at providing security along that route, we task them to be proactive through use of modern tech-driven surveillance and intelligence gathering to forestall further occurrence. As is said, prevention would be better than seeking remedy after crimes would have been committed”, Dr. George also stressed.
The AA standard flag-bearer commiserated with the families of those directly affected as he assured that his Policy Document for the state has a robust security plan that would anchor on pre-emptive than curative measures.
“In our Policy Document for Rivers State, we have worked out a modern and robust security architecture that hinges on prevention. We shall deploy the three modern corporate strategies that include traditional policing, community policing and problem-solving policing, to deter criminals from performing their acts.
“We shall equip the security agencies with modern facilities that are cheap but efficient and have the capacity to strike at the heart of criminal intention. Under that Policy, a robust and mutual superstructure for an enabling environment for the personnel has been outlined and shall be strictly implemented.
“Why? We believe that our men and women, who work to secure life and property must live in habitable environment”.
Dr. George advised the criminals to seek lawful means of livelihood as there is dignity in labour, which he said, would elevate and restore their dignity among the general Rivers population.