Tejiri Ebikeme/Frank Efe
Governor Emmanual Uduaghan of Delta State today in Warri said that the people of Niger Delta are not trouble makers.
Defending the people of the region, when the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe paid him a courtesy visit at Governor’s Office Annex, Warri, the Governor stated that Niger Deltans are not trouble makers but only agitating for a fair deal from the Nigerian state.
He then solicited for the understanding of other regions for the legitimate agitation for the cause of the Niger Delta.
He said; “We must plan so that we can succeed in whatever we want to do. I want to sincerely thank President Goodluck Jonathan commitment to the completion of the East West Road and as a Minister, I want to urge you to put more efforts on the East West Road.”
While advising the Minister to always let people know what he is doing on the road from time to time, the Governor added that “I want our brothers and sisters from other part of the country to know that we are not trouble makers in Niger Delta region, but only asking a better treatment.”
Governor Uduaghan promised the Minister of full co-operation and security support in all its working sites within the region and to participate in the forth coming summit in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, coming up from 21st – 26th of April, 2013.
Earlier in his presentation, the Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry, Elder Godsday Orubebe had intimated the Governor on the Niger Delta Action Plan, which is a developmental programme for the Niger Delta region.
Elder Orubebe stated that the aim behind the initiation of the programme was to organize a summit within the Niger Delta region to discuss the yesterday and today’s issues as it affects the Niger Delta.
According to the Minister; “As a ministry we have worked a document called the Niger Delta Action Plan where summit would be held once in a year to discuss issues of yesterday and today as it affects Niger Delta, I am glad to inform you too that the Federal Government has approved the constitution of a National Council in this regard, for which the first summit meeting comes up April this year at Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
The Minister further said that, of the 42 bridges earmarked for the construction of the East West Road, 37 has been completed while 750 of the 786 culverts have also been build.
He assured that the East West Road will be completed by December 2014.
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