Rivers People have been urged to always synergise with security agencies and the government to ensure that critical assets and infrastructure in the state are safe and secure.
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (Rtd) made the call in Opobo Town during a town hall security stakeholders meeting with the people of Opobo on Saturday, 10th May, 2025.
The Sole Administrator, represented by the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, said, ” We are here to ensure you work in synergy with the Local Government Administrator to ensure that the infrastructures and critical assets of the government are protected .”
He urged the people and residents of the Local Government Area to cooperate with the Local Government Administrator within the span of this administration to ensure improved welfare for all, assuring the people that the government is going to attend to issues of healthcare, schools, and roads, among other welfare concerns.
Welcoming the representative of the Sole Administrator and other security personnel to Opobo Town for the stakeholders’ engagement, the Administrator of Opobo Nkoro LGA, Mr. Frederick Apiafi reiterated that the meeting is timely and necessary, commending the initiative behind the gathering, even as he urged everyone present at the event to be open and honest in their conversations.
Mr. Apiafi emphasised that though the people of Opobo are peace loving.
He pointed out however that the terrain of the area presents peculiar security challenges like sea piracy, theft of fishing equipment at sea, illegal oil bunkering activities, and illegal vigilante groups that operate outside the bounds of the law.
The LG Administrator said that everyone has a role to play in building a safer and more secure Opobo Nkoro LGA, an area that allows people to go about their daily endeavours without fear.
Mr. Apiafi advocated greater support to the security agencies in terms of coordination and proactive surveillance, expressing optimism that the outcome of the meeting will bring about jointly crafted sustainable strategies geared towards reducing crime at the grass-roots.
The meeting, which was basically interactive in nature, has representatives of the Alapu, youths, women, and other bodies from both Opobo and Nkoro kingdoms sharing their concerns.
In the entourage of the representative of the Sole Administrator were heads of security agencies and some Permanent Secretaries in the state.
