Rivers Acquires Choppers to Check Oil Theft

Insideafrik
NEWS
NIGERIA
Ernest Chinwo for ThisDay

Rivers State Government has said it has placed orders for two helicopters to beef up security against oil theft in the state.
The state Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who made the disclosure at a town hall meeting with Rivers community in Abuja, at the weekend, also said the state had plans to pursue a new environmental law that would enhance better waste management and curb pollution arising from illegal oil bunkering.

Amaechi said the two new helicopters would beef up surveillance of oil facilities, as well as combing hideouts of criminal elements in the state.
The bill, he said, would be sent to the House of Assembly and would tackle problems relating to environmental pollution.

“We are putting a law in place that will punish all those who pollute our environment. We have placed orders for two helicopters that will arrive in December. Those helicopters will fly across the entire state 24 hours. They carry cameras that can see criminal activities; the police, the State Security Service (SSS), the army will be monitoring the areas also,” he said.

The governor lamented that pipeline vandalism and illegal refining had caused huge environmental damage in the state.
On waste management, he promised to engage new waste contractors next year, pointing out that the new policy would require only those qualified with modern facilities to be involved in the exercise.

“I want to see a waste treatment plant which we are already building at Rumuokwurusi. There are two plants; they are building one at Kira in Ogoni which deal with metal scraps. The Rumuokwurusi plant will deal with solid wastes, and work is expected to be completed next year,” he said.
Commenting on road projects, Amaechi noted that three road projects remain core to the heart of his administration. They include the Ogoni/Andoni/Opobo Unity road, the Trans-Kalabari road, while promising to also commence the Odual road project.
He blamed low funds for the lull in roads construction, but stated that already, massive road rehabilitation had begun in Old Township area, GRA, and would soon extend to D-Line and Diobu areas of the city.
Responding to some questions posed to him by the participants, Amaechi also stated that his administration had instituted the fiscal responsibility law to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.

He thanked the organisers for the forum saying,” You don’t have a governor, but a human being that will be accountable to you’’.

In his address earlier, President of Rivers Community in Abuja, Mr. Brighten Saagwe, observed that the state had not lagged behind in competing with other states in developmental issues, and thanked Amaechi for his numerous achievements in education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and poverty alleviation.

Saagwe said the forum would enhance governance, adding that  “for those who are far away from home it will give us first-hand information on what the government at home is doing with the resources available to Rivers people. It is also important that in this era of accountability, it is better you take information to the people so that you don’t allow mischief makers to hijack the system.”

He used the forum to appeal to the State Government to assist the community in developing its proposed mini-estate in Abuja, disclosing that already a land had been acquired for the scheme.