Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri
The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has urged the Nigerian Navy to collaborate with the state authorities in enhancing safety on its waterways to curb oil theft and different felony actions.
He said this when members of Course 7 of the Naval Warfare Faculty led by the Commandant, Rear Admiral Saheed Akinwande, paid him a courtesy go to in Authorities Home, Yenagoa.
Commending the Federal Authorities on efforts to test the menace of oil theft, Diri confused the necessity to guarantee zero-tolerance for such actions, which he famous had adversely affected the state, the nation’s financial system in addition to the setting.
He stated “The Navy and different army our bodies are additionally a part of this course. Your theme, which is kind of apt, is about inland water safety, the blue financial system and our potential in Bayelsa.
“I commend the Federal Authorities as a result of the varied bunkering factors have been enormously decreased. Whereas I recognize the Federal Authorities and the Navy for his or her unrelenting efforts, it isn’t but uhuru. We nonetheless have pockets of bunkering.
“So, we need to totally stop bunkering in Bayelsa for reasons that are not far-fetched. It affects our state and the national economy. Our environment is being polluted by oil-producing companies and through oil bunkering activities. Our health is also endangered.”
Diri, in keeping with an announcement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, equally spoke on the necessity to faucet the financial potential that abounds within the state’s maritime area to create wealth and increase socio-economic actions that may be mutually helpful to the state and the nation.
He additionally famous that a part of the wealth of the nation is in its maritime setting which isn’t but tapped. He additionally added {that a} collaboration between the state, the Navy and different maritime companies can harness the hundreds and thousands and thousands of {dollars} which might be untapped within the maritime area.
Whereas appreciating the Chief of Naval Employees, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, for selecting Bayelsa to conduct the four-day examine tour, he stated the state was predominantly maritime and seeks to put money into areas comparable to aquaculture and boat constructing.
The Commandant of the Naval Warfare Faculty, Rear Admiral Saheed Akinwande, stated the theme of this 12 months’s environmental examine tour was “Inland Waterways Security, Socio-economic Development: Bayelsa State in Perspective.”
Akinwande stated members have been anticipated to proffer methods to reinforce safety throughout the inland waterways and contribute to the socio-economic growth of Bayelsa and Nigeria.
He added that the Federal Authorities was exploring numerous choices to diversify the nationwide financial system, one in all which is the blue financial system initiative.
In line with him, “The model seeks sustainable exploitation of enormous resources in our nation’s maritime environment. The blue economy is valued at 1.5 trillion US dollars.”
He stated there have been 23 members, together with one from Cameroon, and a part of the tour was to go to chosen state authorities and army institutions.
