The Federal Government of Nigeria has advised youths of the Niger Delta to have a rethink of the consequences of their negatives actions through violence and destruction of vital infrastructure like oil pipelines in their communities will not guarantee the development of the region.
Speaking through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement South-South, Gift Johnbull, at a one day interactive session between stakeholders and ex-agitators in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, the government urged youths of the region to partner with security agents to secure national assets in the region.
Speaking further, said the disruption of the peace through violence or destruction of vital infrastructure like oil pipelines affects development of communities as oil spills poison water sources, destroy farmlands and shatter the livelihoods of community folks who depend on the land.
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She said, “As we gather for the “Citizen Assembly: One Day Interactive Session Between Stakeholders and the Ex-Agitators, it is a call for all of us to rethink how we see ourselves, our region, and our future.
“As the Aide to the President, he has sent me to sit with you, to listen to your concerns, to understand your frustrations, and to find a way forward together.
“We know that in the past, agitation and unrest were driven by a desire to be heard.
“It was your way of saying, “We matter. Our land, our people, and our future matter.” But we also know that the price of those actions has been heavy on us all.
“When we disrupt the peace through violence or destroy vital infrastructure like oil pipelines, we do more than just send a message, we hurt our own communities.
“Oil spills poison our waters, destroy our farmlands, and shatter the livelihoods of our brothers and sisters who depend on the land.
“This damage ripples beyond Bayelsa, affecting the entire country and adding to the burden of climate change.
“We must understand that while these actions may gain temporary attention, they come at the cost of our growth, our progress, and our dignity. Let me ask you—how do we want the world to see us?
“As agitators who fight against our own prosperity? Or as a people united in purpose, capable of transforming our struggles into stories of hope and resilience?
“As we prepare to go to COP 29, we are not only taking Bayelsa’s challenges to the world; we are taking its untapped potential, its strength, and its vision.
“We will tell the story of a region ready to turn its pain into power, its struggles into solutions.
“We will demand that the world supports us, not just with words but with tangible actions that bring the resources we need to rebuild, restore, and revitalize our land.
“From this day forward, let us shed the label of “ex-agitators.” You are not defined by the past.
“You are citizens of Nigeria, each with a story, a purpose, and a contribution to make. You are leaders in your own right, capable of turning this region into a beacon of hope, not just for Nigeria but for the entire world.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Bubraye Dakolo, represented by his Vice Chairman,
HRM King Charles Dumaro, commended the presidential aide for the initiative, describing it as commendable.
While appealing to the federal government not to terminate the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, he however, noted that youth agitation will only stop when the youths are educated, employed and the Niger Delta turn into a huge construction site.
In his remarks, the leader of Concerned Ex-agitators, Victor Agbututie, said about five thousand disarmed ex-agitators have not been captured or enrolled under the PAP since 2011 despite series of protests and engagement with relevant government agencies.
He said they are demanding full enrolment under the PAP scheme, payment of stipends arrears, scholarships, training and empowerment programme for over five thousand ex-agitators from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers States.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE