The Bayelsa State government has called on the federal government to expedite action on establishing a marine safety corps to effectively address security challenges on the waterways in the country.

Deputy governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo made the call on Tuesday when a delegation from the Nigeria Police Trust Fund paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa.

Mr Ewhrudjakpo pointed out that establishing the marine equivalent of the existing Federal Road Safety Corps would help in the fight against sea piracy, kidnapping and other crimes in the Niger Delta.

“That is why we have been calling on the Federal Government to establish a marine safety corps just as we have the Road Safety Corps to effectively police our waterways,” he said.

He pointed out that policing the creeks of Bayelsa demanded a lot of logistics, noting that the state needed more support in gunboats to enable the marine division of the state police command to secure the creeks effectively.

While expressing the state government’s preparedness to collaborate with the federal government on security, he added that the Marine Safety Corps would support other security agencies to safeguard critical national assets such as oil facilities.

According to him, until the federal government and the 36 states work closely together to fight against insecurity, Nigeria will not be able to achieve sustainable peace and tranquillity.

The deputy governor, who passed a vote of confidence in the Commissioner of Police, Ben Nebolisa Okolo, and his team, expressed hope that the visit of the NPTF would facilitate the take-off of the Marine Police Training Institute at Toru-Orua in the Sagbama Local Government Area.

(NAN)