Kidnapping: Rivers State Bemoans Problem

These are definitely not happy times for the Rivers State Government and its helmsman, Governor Chibuike Amaechi. No thanks to those behind the spate of abductions, a thriving filthy lucre in the state, and the mindless blood letting by unrepentant cultists, the regime’s long-launched race for the development of the oil-rich state has been showed down.

Suddenly, once busy project sites spread all over the state have been turned into scenes of near graveyard silence, not because of the poor funding but due to the race for dear life by workers.

As most top government functionaries, particularly, the governor has announced publicly, the government’s spirit and purse are willingly to get the projects that run into scores of billions of Naira going but the work men are scarcely there.

The last straw that broke the camel’s already aching back was the kidnap of two expatriate staff of construction giant, Julius Berger, in-charge of most of the major road and bridge construction projects of the administration.Apparently afraid that the hostage-takers might come for more of its prized workers, the company fled the state about six weeks ago, leaving behind, unfinished projects many of which were scheduled to be completed and handed over before the first anniversary of the regime in late October, this year.

Prominent among the projects are the Eleme Junction Fly-Over in Port Harcourt that was meant to end the nightmare of motorists who ply that axis of ever-busy Port Harcourt-Aba Express Way and a similar one that is to link the Eagle Island to the capital city and the suburbs as well as the Eastern By-PassAmadiama Road bridge.

Besides, the consequent endless traffic hold-ups, the abandoned projects have also swallowed several thousands of gainful employments.Speaking recently at a thanksgiving service held at the New Covenant Anglican Church, Port Harcourt for Mrs Bright Hayford, wife of the Chairman of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of NUJ in the State, Mr. Lawson Hayford, the governor stated that more than 4,500 indigenes of the state lost their jobs to Julius Berger’s exit.

Bemoaning the dwindling socio-economic fortunes of the spate of violence and kidnapping for ransom, Governor Amaechi told the worshipers that many companies have fled the state due to insecurity.

In an indirect answer-back to those urging for dialogue with the “insurgents so-called” as Justice Kayode Eso who heads the State Truth and Reconciliation Commission would want them identified, the governor said the preferred drug for social ailment is official use of force.“I believe that as a government, the greatest challenge I have is security.

The solution is the use of force.“I assure you that we will confront them and I want you to be behind us. We must do the right thing”.He saw those behind the orgy of abductions and violence as self-confessed barefaced criminals who are after their selfish interests and insisted that they must be hunted down.

Already, many suspected hide-outs of the insurgents have been combed by the government forces and scores of suspected militants either mowed or arrested. And the anti-militants war beat goes on.

Daily Sun