As part of measures towards
finding lasting solutions to the crisis in the Niger Delta which has crippled
oil production in the country, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has called for an
all-embracing dialogue involving all stakeholders, including foreign interests.
The
governor made the call yesterday when the Deputy Chief of Mission, United
States of America’s (USA) embassy in Nigeria, Mr. David Young, paid him a visit
in Asaba.
According
to the governor, “the oil companies, the federal government and all
stakeholders should sit down and create the environment that will engender
lasting peace in the Niger Delta.”
“The
more we dialogue, the more we are going to find solutions,” Governor Okowa
said, stating, “it is unfortunate that we find ourselves in this situation
because of the mono economy which is not good enough for the country.”
While disclosing that his
administration was making several efforts to ensure peace and for aggrieved
parties to adopt dialogue, the governor emphasized, “it appears that we are
beginning to see results and peace is returning to the region because we cannot
have meaningful solutions through military approach; we are encouraging
agitations by dialogue because, we can achieve greater success without
destroying our economic facilities.”
He
thanked the government of the USA for its interests in the affairs of Nigeria,
especially in the area of achieving peace in the Niger Delta, saying that his
administration was doing a lot to empower the youths through different skill
acquisition programmes.
Mr.
Young had told the governor that he was in the state as part of his
fact-finding mission to the Niger Delta, stating, “the US believes that
dialogue is very important in resolving grievances; we encourage Nigerians to
exploit mechanisms for dialogue in moving forward.”
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