Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders across the South-South region to enhance peace and security.
The governor made the call on Thursday during the South-South Zonal Public Hearing on National Security, organized by the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on National Security, in Port Harcourt.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, Governor Fubara emphasized that security is not solely the responsibility of government but a shared obligation of all citizens.
He highlighted the state government’s ongoing support to security agencies, including the provision of operational vehicles, boats, aircraft, accommodation, and welfare assistance to ensure the effective protection of lives and property.
Governor Fubara further urged stakeholders to adopt a “bottom-up approach” in addressing security challenges, stressing the need to pay particular attention to the region’s coastal environment and its strategic location along the Gulf of Guinea.
Fubara said, “As a government, we are not unaware of our constitutional responsibility to ensure the protection and safety of lives and property in the state, including the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
“These objectives we have assiduously pursued with robust collaboration and partnership with the Federal Government and the various security agencies, in providing the necessary equipment such as operational vehicles, boats, and even aircraft, accommodation, and support, including the welfare of both serving personnel and the Nigerian Legionnaires.
“This summit could, therefore, not have come at a better time, as it is today, in the face of security challenges in the region that drain our national revenue, damage our environment, and put lives and property at risk, and the immense efforts of the Federal, State and Local Governments in combating these menaces to society.
“This distinguished gathering is a testament to our commitment and synergy towards a more secure, stable, and prosperous future for the South-South region and Nigeria in general.”
Also speaking, the Senate Minority Leader and Chairman, South-South Security Summit, Senator Abba Patrick Moro, noted that the summit is a deliberate effort to diagnose, understand, and collectively address the hydra-headed security challenges confronting the country.
He said the summit is a unique platform for honest deliberations and assessments geared towards procuring probable solutions that will mitigate the security challenges of the country.
“We are here today to listen to security experts, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations, and those directly affected by the very threats that this summit seeks to address.
“Be assured that the information we shall gather from this summit would undoubtedly form the basis of our recommendations to the Senate, which will serve as guides to our legislative interventionist measures, budgetary provisions, and policy reforms that will revamp the national security landscape.”
Fubara,
