Osinbajo visits Gbaramatu for Niger Delta support

Osinbajo visits Gbaramatu for Niger Delta support

- Professor Yemi Osinbajo led a delegate to Niger Delta to solicit for peace

- The vice president says the region deserves special development plan

- He said this was not the work of the federal government alone

Professor Yemi Osinbajo paid a visit to Oporoza community, the headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta state as a way to find peace in the troubled Niger Delta region.

The vice president was billed to visit key areas in the region and The Nation reports he went to Gbaramatu on a fact-finding mission.

Chief Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo who is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is from the community.

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The vice president was accompanied by the Delta state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa and the minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu.

Osinbajo noted that the development of the region was not the duty of the federal government alone but also the stakeholders too.

He also visited the temporary site of the proposed Nigerian Maritime University in Kurutie before paying a courtesy call on the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli. He went on from there to address a meeting help at the PTI Conference Centre, Effurun.

He noted that the region deserves a special development plan which must be agreed by all those involved.

“Number one, we must recognise the environmental and terrain challenges of the Niger Delta, we must also recognise that the Niger Delta is a special economic zone for this nation and so we must treat it as a special development zone.

“I agree that it must be treated as a special development zone. But what does it mean in practical terms? It means that the federal government, the state governments, the National Assembly representatives, alongside the NDDC and the civil society representatives of the Niger Delta people must sit together and develop a plan and funding arrangement for rapid development.

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“There is no excuse for not planning together, the federal government alone cannot solve the problems of the Niger Delta, it is impossible for the federal government alone, but we can, sitting with the state governors from this region, National Assembly members and civil society organisations, plan for this special development zone and make sure that we carry it out and deliver on the promises that we have made to the people.

“The states must also be prepared to devote substantial budget to this special project. The PANDEF has submitted a concise list of 16 dialogue issues that will be extremely helpful in ascertaining the key development priorities. That PANDEF document is an important working document, it’s a document around which we can plan.”

Source: Legit.ng

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