WARRI – B y Okiemute Okpomor. Determined efforts to restore peace to troubled oil-rich Niger Delta region continued in Warri, Delta State on Friday, with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, calling on Militants to halt further hostilities in the region
He believes that more results would be achieved through dialogue and advocacy.
Speaking at a one-day stakeholders’ consultative meeting of Niger Delta Coastal States of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Delta
and Rivers convened by Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, elder statesman and Ijaw national leader at the P.T.I Conference Centre, Effurun, Delta State, Senator Okowa said, “there is need to agitate but, it should be agitation based on dialogue and advocacy.”
While commending the convener of the meeting for giving room for the people of the Niger Delta region to talk, Senator Okowa stated that more would be achieved when the people of the region have credible people speaking on their behalf rather than persons who will claim to be speaking for the people whereas they were looking for personal gains.
According to the Delta State Governor, “are we ready to be a true
voice of the people? Today, we are talking about dialogue but it is
important that we have those who can represent us, not the Governors,
because, with Governors it will be seen or looked at as political and I know that if we have a well selected stakeholders to go to Abuja to speak for us, the President will listen because those people will not be seen as speaking for their pockets.We should stop all forms of violence, with violence, we are taking actions that are destroying our land, the environment and our waters in anger.”
Senator Okowa added, “our traditional rulers and our leaders should let the youths know that they should stop violence, with a firm assurance that the elders will speak for us; we know that fiscal federalism, restructuring of the country are important but, we should look at what we can benefit from President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as a people.”
The Governor disclosed that plans are on to reopen the Maritime
University adding that when the multi-billion naira Gas EPZ project
comes on stream, the Escravos Sand Bar would be dredged
He spoke further, “we should be peaceful, please let us give peace a chance, we need to create the enabling environment, we need to be ready to accommodate investors because, the gas revolution project will cost in excess of 15 billion dollars and the process of dredging the Escravos Bar is part of the bargain. Chinese investors are already sourcing for funds to finance the project.”
Senator Okowa used the occasion to inform Deltans that the Ugborodo community have embraced dialogue as the best form of resolving crisis rather than occupying the premises of Chevron
In his opening remarks, Chief Edwin K.Clark disclosed that the meeting was convened because of the tension building up in the six coastal states of the Niger Delta as a result of high presence of military men.
Those who spoke at the occasion, including youths and women called for the demilitarization of the Niger Delta region, re-opening of the Maritime University, dialogue with President Buhari, restructuring of Nigeria as ways of ensuring enduring peace in the region.
