10 December 2013, Yenagoa – Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, on Tuesday said the state government would set up a task force to deal with cases of oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
Dickson, who spoke in Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, said oil thieves in the state would face dire consequences as from 2014.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dickson was on a ‘thank you tour’ to local government areas in the state.
He said the government was disturbed by the alarming rate of oil theft and its effect on the economy, stressing that stringent measure would be taken to stop it.
“A task force will be set up to clamp down on the perpetrators of these criminal acts and anybody caught will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” Dickson said.
The governor said the administration had invested so much on security and solicited the support of the people towards ensuring the security of lives and property in the state.
He thanked residents of the area for their support since his election as governor in 2012, pledging to complete work on Yenagoa-Oporoma road.
“Already, we are working on the Yenagoa-Oporoma road; Clearing of that road has got to Angiama while sand-filling has reached Aguobiri, which is close to Oporoma.
“As you know, we are also working on the general hospital and model secondary school projects and several others here in Oporoma and other parts of Southern Ijaw,” Dickson said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dickson was accompanied on the tour by former governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyesiegha.
In his address, Alamieyeseigha commended the governor for the tour, saying it would further endear him to the people of the state.
The Paramount ruler of the area, King Joshua Igbugburu, conferred the governor with the traditional title of Ibefimiowei 1 of Southern Ijaw.
Igbugburu said the gesture was to reaffirm the confidence of the people in the state administration.
NAN reports that during the tour, Dickson presented a cheque of N105 million to some women groups in the area and inspected ongoing projects.
NAN
