The  incorporation of a commercial security outfit – the Izon-Ibe Security Company Limited- by the Bayelsa State government has, understandably, attracted a lot of positive comments from various quarters. Without doubt, it demonstrated the commitment of the Governor Henry Seriake Dickson administration to tackling the problems confronting the state head-long. It is no secret that security and youth unemployment have constituted serious problems in the state and taking such a positive step that would address both is worthy of commendation.

That Bayelsa State has had its share of security problems, just like  other parts of the country in the past couple of years, is hardly news. The state has witnessed kidnappings affecting all strata of society. The high-profile cases received media attention while many others went unpublished. Cult-related violence was also on the rise especially around the state capital, Yenagoa. We also had reported cases of oil theft and pipe-line vandalism as well as other criminal activities aimed at sabotaging the economy of the state and Nigeria at large.

There has always been one security challenge or the other for Governor Dickson to tackle. Although the challenges are not peculiar to Bayelsa State, they certainly attained ‘celebrity’ status in the state owing, perhaps, to the fact that it is the president’s own state. As one would expect, nothing goes unnoticed in Bayelsa State. After all, it is the ‘glory of all lands’.

The president himself suffered the kidnapping of his adopted father in his home town, Otuoke. We have probably lost count of the many cases of kidnapping which also involved the 90-year old mother of a serving senator from the state, a brother to the Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly and the Special Adviser to Governor Dickson on Power. Suffice it to say, however, that such criminal activities have projected the state in bad light even as the state government battles to restore peace and order for her law-abiding citizens to enjoy.

This is why we applaud the decision of  Dickson to further boost the security situation of the state through the establishment of the commercial security outfit as announced in a recent press release by Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Chief Press Secretary to the governor. It is not only timely but another demonstration of the governor’s preparedness to respond to the yearnings of the people of the state who crave improved standard of living in a secure  environment.  Not only that, the implication of a security breakdown in Bayelsa state is quite enormous in terms of revenue contribution to the federation account and the local economy. Any security breach at the many petroleum and gas installations in the state would translate to a significant drop in the nation’s crude oil export and earnings.

Apart from providing security, the company is to engage about 20,000 youths. This will be a big boost to the effort to tackle youth unemployment in the state.

We commend  Dickson for this bold and novel initiative and as the benefits of the step begin to be noticeable in the foreseeable future, we are optimistic that more of such people-oriented policies are still in the kitty. Bayelsa  sure has a bright future under this administration.

Jeremiah P. Owoupele  lives in  Abuja.