Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has alerted that People are using the Ovia River to bring arms to and engage in all sorts of nefarious activities in Edo State.
“We will need more surveillance in that axis and need your support,” Obaseki told Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar on Tuesday.
The Governor spoke while receiving Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, with top security chiefs in the State, who were on a courtesy visit, at the Government House, in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Governor Obaseki attributed “the remarkable progress witnessed across various sectors of the State’s economy” to his administration’s ability to maintain peace, law and order, which he noted was made possible through the seamless collaboration between the government, federal security agencies and the state-owned security outfits.
The governor, who restated the need for peace and security for the growth and development of any society, said his government will continue to partner with security agencies in the State, supporting them to effectively deliver on their role of ensuring peace and order and protecting the lives and property of the citizenry.
He said, “I thank you and your men on ground for the services they have been rendering to us in Edo State. I recall a few years ago when we had internal security challenges and requested that you deploy some of your men to help us deal with the situation; the cooperation we received was total.
“The State has witnessed remarkable improvement in the last eight years and the underlying factor for this is our ability to have law and order in the State. The Law and order we have experienced in Edo State has been as a result of the peaceful collaboration with sister agencies in the State.
“Collaboration between the federal security agencies and our own State security agencies is seamless and responsible for the huge success recorded as it has helped us maintain the calm and peaceful atmosphere we witnessed in Edo State today.
“Without law and order, it will be difficult to have any meaningful development. I thank your agency and other federal security agencies and our local security agencies for the commitment and dedication to making Edo State one of the safest in Nigeria.”
According to him, “We continually have security meetings in the State using data to analyze our security situation as we have gone digital. We sit, review data, and make decisions based on the data received.
“At our last Council security meeting, data available to us showed that cultism is the biggest security challenge facing us. The Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) has helped us with a law prohibiting cultism and today, the task force set up has already started operations to take care of cultism.
“Without the support we continue to receive from your men, it will be difficult to achieve the kind of progress we have made today. We will do all to ensure we retain you here and make Edo a host where quality officers will want to come and serve.”
Reiterating the need for sustained partnership with the security outfits, Obaseki further stated, “We have a few challenges like the one that relates to the maritime border, particularly the Ovia River axis where we have been having running battles with bandits and terrorists in the last few months.
“People are using the Ovia River to bring arms and engage in all sorts of nefarious activities. We will need more surveillance in that axis and need your support.”
He added, “We need calm in that axis because we want to commence the development of the Benin River Port and it’s important to guarantee the safety and security of our partners that will be working in that axis. I thank you and your men for the security of the Benin Airport as our flights have increased tremendously.”
In his response, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar commended Governor Obaseki for his developmental strides across the State, noting that having served in Edo in the past, he was impressed with the transformation of the State today.
He said, “Returning today as the 22nd Chief of Air Staff, I am highly impressed by Benin’s transformation into a modern and vibrant city that still retains its ancient charm that preserves the cultural heritage of the Benin Kingdom.
“The new face of Benin reflects your dedication to good governance, visionary leadership, and prioritization of infrastructural development in Edo State. The essence of my visit is to perform an oversight function on the operations and challenges of 107 Air Maritime Group in Benin City.
“I thank the government and people of Edo State for their cooperation and support all through the year. I appreciate you gesture, sacrifice, and love you have for the Air Force.”
