Complete Bonny – Port Harcourt Road to reduce sea piracy, Senate tells FG

The Senate has tasked the federal government to expedite action on the completion of the Bonny -Port – Harcourt Road project to minimize incidences of sea piracy on the waterways.

Also, it mandated the nation’s security agencies to ensure adequate security of lives and properties and to make the nation’s waterways safe and secure for businesses.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on sea pirates attack on the Bonny-Port – Harcourt waterways sponsored by Senator Betty Afiapi (PDP Rivers West) at plenary on Thursday.

Senator Afiapi, who raised Order 42 and 52 of Senate rules, lamented the increasing spate of armed banditry, bunkering and kidnapping on the waterways leading to the Bonny Liquefied Natural Gas, which is one of the country’s largest oil production field.

Sen. Apiafi, in her motion, recalled how four boats were attacked on September 26 by pirates, who dispossessed the passengers of their properties and even kidnapped some of them.

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“This unprecedented challenge on the Bonny-Port-Harcourt waterways have put many travellers at risk and almost on a daily basis armed bandits kidnap commuters,” she said.

According to her, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLG) will soon commence its project along that route, adding that “this will increase traffic along the waterways and put more lives at risk.”

She suggested that an immediate completion of the road network will provide alternate means of transportation to the Bonny area and consequently, reduce piracy s on the waterways.

In his contribution, Sen. George Sekibo (Rivers East) while supporting the motion said the water route is major route to Nigeria through the ocean, but said the incessant attacks by oil thieves, kidnappers and oil pirates have reached an alarming rate as the frightening situation on Nigerian roads.

“In Nigeria today, the only route where there is no kidnapping, robbery and piracy is the air route. Nigeria faces total insecurity problems,” Sen. Sekibo added.

The senator called on the Senate Committee on Works to ensure that the adequate appropriation of funds for the completion of the road project leading to the Bonny oil facility to serve as an alternate route.

Also Senator Clifford Odia (Edo Central) called on the federal government to step up funding of the road project to curtail criminality on the waterways.

Meanwhile, five bills scaled first reading on the Senate floor during plenary on Thursday.

The bills are Federal Polytechnic, Kano bill sponsored by Senator Jibrin Barau (APC/Kano North); Deep offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract 2004 Act, sponsored by Senators Albert Akpan (PDP/Akwa-Ibom North East) and Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP/ Anambra South).

Others are City University of Technology, Auchi bill sponsored by Senator Francis Alimikhena (APC/Edo North); Flag and Coat of Arms Act 2019 bill, by Senator Olalekan Mustapha and Federal University, Wukari Bill sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Bwacha.

The bills were referred to the relevant committees by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, for further legislative work.