From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike said yesterday the present administration inherited security challenges but is resolved to tackling them.
He also reiterated the determination of his administration to nip criminality in the bud and advised parents to keep their children off crime.
Wike stated this yesterday at the thanksgiving service in honour of Ma. Patience Tam-George, mother of his Commissioner of Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George, at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, George-Ama, in Okrika Local Government Area of the state.
The 85-year-old celebrant, Ma. Tam-George, was abducted in February, 2016, by gunmen in the community and freed six days after.
The governor, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Kenneth Kobani, thanked God for sparing the octogenarian’s life and noted that not all kidnapped victims lived to tell their stories.
“We are happy that our mother, Ma. Patience Tam-George did not die in the hand of the kidnappers. The issue of security challenges we are facing was inherited, it is not from us. That is why the governor has encouraged the security agencies to fight crime.
“The Amnesty Programme, which is also one of the approaches, is to give cultist a second chance.”
The governor urged parents and guardians to talk to children and wards to shun violence even as he enjoined people of the state to support efforts of government.
He assured that the state government “will not relent in executing people-oriented projects and ensure Rivers people felt impact of good governance.”
In his comments, Tam-George, commended governor Wike for placing priority on security of the state.
Tam-George advised youths who indulged in criminality to shun such act embrace the amnesty programme of the state government.