Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday
counselled aggrieved Niger Delta youths to embrace peace, saying it was the
only means to usher in the needed development in the region.
Jonathan spoke when he visited the troubled
Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, the
hotbed of renewed militants’ activities in the Niger Delta.
The ex-President, whose visit was greeted
with jubilation and excitement, also assured Nigerians that the problems facing
the country, especially the dwindling economy, would soon be a thing of the
past.
Jonathan was in Oporoza the traditional
headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom for the official presentation of the staff of
office to the Pere of Gbaramatu, His Royal Majesty, Oboro Gbaraun II.
The immediate past President appealed to all
stakeholders in the region to embrace peace, noting that there could never be
development in an atmosphere of crisis. Jonathan said, “At this period, there
are challenges in the country; there are challenges in the Niger Delta; there
are challenges in the kingdom, but all these are temporary.
Surely, the society will get over it. I
believe Nigeria is still a great country and will continue to move on. The
kingdom will succeed, the Niger Delta will succeed and Nigeria will succeed.
“The governor has given his charge, I don’t
want to add more, but I always say there cannot be development without peace
and the duty of every traditional ruler is to ensure that there is peace in his
kingdom and you should be able to mobilise your sons and daughters for the
social and economic development of the people and especially for Gbaramatu
kingdom, where a lot of oil industry activities are going on, where you have
people from all over the world coming to do one thing or the other.”
Also, the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa,
appealed for peace, lamenting that the continued destruction of pipelines had
affected revenue generation in the country.
The governor, while presenting the staff of
office to the 26th Gbaramatu monarch, said “I’m happy the Ijaw could put
themselves together for an occasion like this. I look forward to a greater
community of love, peace and development.
“It’s time to heal the wounds for the state
to move forward. You have reasons to feel bad, but it’s also possible to carry
out agitations through dialogue and non-violent manner. It’s time to embrace
peace; forgive those who need to be forgiven. We need to partner others to move
forward. I’ve come to plead with you to embrace peace. It’s time to think back
and reconcile.”
However, in his welcome address, the
spokesman for Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, lamented the
unnecessary and incessant invasion of Gbaramtu communities by military
operatives urging the Federal Government to accord the monarch the needed
respect.
Gbenekama said, “Countless men, women, and
children have lost their lives to these invasions. As chief security officer of
the state, we plead with you to help reduce the presence of the military and
stop the raids forthwith. We don’t deserve to die because oil was found in our
land.”
Credit:dailytimes
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