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| Barr Uzum |
The executive assistant who gave the charge while inaugurating the network at the Niger Delta Peace and Security summit, organised by Revive Africa Initiative in Koko, with the theme, ‘Strategic Peace Building and Community-Based Partnership on Security: A Panacea For Sustainable Regional Development’, urged the body to always liaise with the governments in the region in the area of job creation, which he said had always been cited as a solution to restiveness in the region.
Earlier, while speaking on his topic he titled, "Peace and Security in the Niger Delta: The Way Forward ", Mr Uzum, a lawyer, espoused that peace was a veritable instrument for nation building, and could be achieved through equitable distribution of resources accrued from the region.
He identified some of the challenges in the region to include ethnic mismanagement, federal character mismanagement, mismanagement of security institutions by leaders to oppress the governed and hate speeches which he noted had made peace unrealizable.
The DG Orientation advocated proper orientation of leaders that nothing last forever, with a sober reflection to voluntarily end the oppression of the people and also the orientation of the governed not to see themselves as bystanders but stakeholders in the scheme of things.
He further emphasized saying, "The bedrock of the summit is orientation and that has been very well captured in the government of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa; have created the directorate of orientation from the Ministry of Information to take information to the doorsteps of Deltans, and by extension Nigerians."
“However, our mandate is to take government policies, orientation and initiatives to the people and in doing that, it brings the government and the governed together in the same table, which governance easier."
“His Excellency has done a lot in his SMART Agenda, in stemming the restiveness in the region, through job creation in the state, because when the youths are properly, efficiently and adequately engaged, they would not have time for criminal activities, going forward, the youth on the street is getting the needed information, especially in a forum like these," he stated adding, "We have been having town hall meetings, meetings across tertiary institutions, partnering with civil societies, and Non- governmental organizations to deepen the process of peace and security in the state and Nigeria in general, but it is still not adequate, neither is it sufficient."
“So, the concerted effort of the state government continues, and part of it is what is taking place at this event, we are certain that at the end of the incoming administration of the governor, the state will be pivotal in information and orientation dissemination in the big world Nigeria. However, the beauty of this event is that it is a process of mental reorientation, and I commend the organisers for their astuteness," the executive assistant further noted.
Another speaker who also dwelt on the need for reorientation of the leaders and the governed for strategic peace building, Prof. Petite State, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, noted that peace had always eluded the region due to constant marginalization of the people from the wealth gotten from the region by Nigeria leaders.
He called on leaders to do the needful by empowering the people and developing the region in order to give peace a chance.
On his part the convener and founder of Revive Africa Initiative, Amb. Ugagaoghene Ogheneyole, thanked the Delta State Government, Nigeria Police Force, National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Delta State University Abraka, Edo Civil Society Organization, Anioma Youth Council, Ohaneze Igbo Youth Council, New Nigeria Youth Progress Alliance and non-governmental organizations present at the summit for their solidarity.
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