The Chairman of Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has played host to participants of the Course 25 of the National Defence College urging them to join the campaign advocacy for the Federal Government to save the indigenes of oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta region from increasing cases of oil spillages and erosion.
Hon. Bello Bina, who expressed concern that the fishing and farming activities of the people of the region have been destroyed due to the issues of erosion, Oil spillages and the exploitative activities multinationals oil companies in the region.
The Brass Council Boss, Hon. Bello Bina, who made this known recently while playing host to participants of Course 25 of the National Defence College at the Council Secretariat in Twon-Brass., noted that the indigenes of Brass area had peaceful recorded bountiful harvest from fishing, the increase careless exploration activities of oil companies without due clean-ups of spillages, proper compensation and divisive acts have led to the extiction of fishing activities as means of livelihood.
Hon. Bello Bina, who commended the initiative of the NDC, however stressed that Brass LGA is not actually viable for commercial crop production, pointing out that, the perpetrations of fishermen from Senegal, Ghana and other neighbouring African Countries are impeding the activities of the few fishermen from the area that are into deep sea fishing.
He therefore urged the federal government to protect the nation’s shores and also clean up the environment with a view to creating an enabling environment for fishermen.
Earlier in his speech, the comandant of the National Defence College who leed the visiting Participants of Course 25, Rear Admiral Samuel Alade stated that the team was in Brass LGA as part of their geo-Strategic Study Tour for the NDC, adding that the theme of their tour was ” Enhancing Food Security and National Development: The Role of States.”
Rear admiral Alade who thanked the Brass Council Boss, for the hospitality, further stated that they were in Brass LGA to get first hand information as it concerns food security.
He also said that they had already visited other LGAs and would at the end of the tour draft a formal report on behalf of the NDC to pinpoint the areas Bayelsa state is contributing toward food security and national development.
The highlight of the visit was the presentation of a Cone to the Council Chairman as a sign of honour and gratitude for the warm welcome fron the people of Brass.
Hon. Bello also reciprocated the kind gesture and presented fish to the visitors as a symbol of the LGA.
27-10-2016.