AKHA seeks executive power to tackle Sea-Pirates

 

Worried by the alarming rate of sea-pirates wrecking havoc and affecting fishermen along the coast line of Akwa Ibom State, the State House of Assembly has called on the State Government and the Federal Ministry of Defence to step in and boost security along the coast line of Akwa Ibom.

The House made the appeal in an information on urgent public importance brought before the House by the House Leader, Mr. Okpolukpm Ette who lamented the suffering being undergone by the people in the riverine areas.
He said that the activities of the sea pirates has made the people whose occupation is fishing to stay at home since they cannot fight the pirates who always take everything they have while they go home empty handed. He further said that the pirates always place their boats strategically at the centre of the sea so that any fisherman will have to pass by them before getting to anyway or any part they want to go to.
Also speaking, the member representing Okobo State Constituency, Mr. Effefiong Antigha said that the pirates went as far as kidnapping some Bakassi returnees who went to receive the presidential committee on resettlement of returnees and hid them for days at Cross River before they were rescued adding that one of them was seriously manhandled by the pirates in April this year.

The lawmaker who lamented how he spent thousands of naira to treat those affected including the rescue process said that though, some of the pirates were arrested and some killed, nothing has been heard about it again.

After much deliberations by most members, including Hon. Barr. Onofiok Luke, Barr. Ekong Sampson, Mr. Friday Iwok, Mr. Anietie Etuk and Mr. Jerome Isangedihe; the Speaker of the House, Elder Samuel Ikon directed that a letter be sent to the State Executive and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Defence within 48 hours to step-up the security situation on the state water ways, and to equip the Naval officers with sophisticated weapons to enable combat the activities of sea pirates which seriously affects the State.