The House of Representatives, Wednesday, was awestruck hearing that the fishermen in the coastal areas of Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State have always been forced to pay royalties to pirates before they are allowed to engage in their activities on the waterways.
Mr Uduak Odudoh representing Ikot Abasi/Mkpat Enin/Eastern Obolo Federal Constituency in a motion at the plenary presided by Speaker Tajudeen Abass said failure by the fishermen to pay the levies puts them at risk of getting killed or having their boats, equipment and other valuables stolen or vandalised.
Odudoh listed the coastal Areas in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom to include Eastern Obolo, Mkpat Enin, Ikot Abasi, Ibeno, Mbo, Oron, Okobo, Udung Uko, Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government Areas, with waterways of Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas, among others.
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According to him, the areas are interconnected with other communities in the Niger Delta including Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
The lawmaker argued that the deployment of security personnel would stop the ongoing economic sabotage orchestrated by the activities of pirates and robbers in the areas.
The lawmaker remarked that the activities of pirates and their involvements in organised crimes were threats to national security and economic activities.
He expressed the concern that due to incessant attacks by pirates, residents of the coastal areas in Akwa Ibom State were living in perpetual fear even as economic activities in the affected communities have been hampered and their sources of livelihood severely threatened.
The House demanded deployment of adequate security to coastal areas in Akwa Ibom state, to stop the ongoing economic sabotage orchestrated by the activities of pirates and robbers in the affected areas.
The House urged the appropriate authorities to provide the maritime security personnel with incentives to motivate and encourage them to uphold their agencies rule of engagement.
It also The House mandated its Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration to ensure compliance.
Recall that media houses reported that between December 2022 and April 2023, fishermen comprising Ijaw, Yoruba, Obolo and Ghanaians were attacked by sea pirates on the waterways of Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, and no fewer than 50 pieces of outboard engines were stolen.
In July 2022, Akwa Ibom Police Command rescued 28 fishermen kidnapped by a five-man gang in Akwakpa, in Uruan Local Government Area of the state.
