By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom governor has sued for peaceful coexistence among Nigerian coastal border communities and States for substantial achievement and rapid development of the region.
Pastor Umo Eno, who bared his mind Friday, during the opening ceremony of an inaugural summit of the Nigerian International Coastal Border Platform, which took place at CEEDAPEG Hotel, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, with the theme, “Enhancing the potential of international coastal border communities for national and regional development: The Role of Stakeholders”, stressed the need for Nigerians to continuously explore ways to maintain and deepen peace with its neighbouring countries and the States.
Eno said there was need to integrate the people living in riverine communities and provide them with essential amenities such as schools, medical facilities and other basic essentials of life that would help them survive and also thrive in peace and harmony, even as their state governments should provide them with a safe, secured, and peaceful environment.
“I believe these are some of the necessary areas this summit will recommend and pursue with our various State governments. For us in Akwa Ibom State, apart from setting up the first stand-alone Ministry of Internal Security and Water Ways headed by a retired General of the Nigerian Army, we have supported the Nigerian Navy with patrol boats to help in patrolling and securing our water ways,” he said.
He lauded the Nigerian Navy for its commitment and resilience which have greatly reduced to a negligible proportion the incident of kidnapping, sea piracy, robbery, pipeline vandalism, and other sea crimes.
According to him, the Nigerian Navy’s dedication to their statutory obligations have also given security guarantees to those living in riverine areas, and also served as a deterrence to any security infractions from anywhere.
He said his administration has provided modern amenities to the people living in coastal areas, empowered fishing communities, and was currently working on a multi-billion Naira marine infrastructure project in Oron, which is a major coastal town.
The project, according to the governor, comprises a terminal building, passenger ferry boats, warehouses, cold rooms, cargo and passenger jetties, recreational garden, beachfront, and security outposts for the Nigerian Navy, stressing that the people living in coastal areas of the State are critical to the development of the blue economy, which is one of the key areas of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He recalled issues surrounding flooding and other climate challenges especially around coastal areas and the effects of ocean rise, as was discussed during the recent United Nations international conference in Nice, France, urging the stakeholders to unite to proffer ideas and solutions towards stemming the tide of the effects of ocean rise which, he affirmed, washes most coastal communities away.
Eno enjoined the participants to deepen their deliberations to come up with quality ideas, solutions, and recommendations that would help them deliver effectively on their work.
The State deputy governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, made known that the Nigerian International Coastal Border Platform is an innovation that emerged following the recommendation of the national sensitisation workshop on African Union integrated border governance strategy and the African Union Convention on cross border cooperation which took place in Abuja on March 17, 2022.
Chairman of the Nigerian International Coastal Border Platform, who doubles as deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, said there was need for stakeholders to put their heads together to discover ways of eradicating the various challenges of their coastal region.
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