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Dialogue without us futile exercise, Niger Delta youth leaders warn Buhari

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Dialogue without us futile exercise, Niger Delta youth leaders warn Buhari

Ahead of the October 31 proposed dialogue between President Muhammadu Buhari and Pan Niger Delta Forum (PNDF) youth leaders from 19 ethnic nationalities in the region, has warned that they must be included in the meeting for its outcome to be meaningful.

Buhari’s meeting with PNDF, an amalgamation of monarchs, leaders, groups and stakeholders of the coastal states stakeholders of Niger Delta, is to look at ways of ensuring peace in the troubled region.

However, the youth leaders of the region, on Saturday in a communique issued after their meeting in Warri, Delta State, insisted that their importance and role towards ensuring the desired solution to the belligerent issues of the region cannot be wished away.

They described the proposed dialogue with the Niger Delta elders as commendable, but said youths as the most vulnerable stakeholder in the economic, security and political issues affecting the region, must be actively involved in any meeting to resolve the issues in the region.

“We commend the present move by Mr. President and the leaders of the Niger Delta region to dialogue, in quest to address critical issue affecting the good people of the region. There should be an inclusion of all the ethnic nationality youth leaders in the proposed dialogue process.

“The Federal Government should ensure a high degree of transparency and sincerity in the process of dialogue and negotiations. And we call on the agitating groups to shield their swords and give peace a chance.”

Reviewing the planned economic, security and political solutions to the problems of the region, the youth leaders urged President Buhari and the government to develop an economic commitment for the youths through the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Delta and Cross River states, the Maritime University in Delta and the Brass Fertilizer project in Bayelsa State.

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“There should also be the reactivation of the Calabar, Warri and Port Harcourt Sea Ports, the construction of the Lagos/Calabar Railway, the completion of the East-West road, Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene, Aba-Ikot Ekpene,Owerri-Port Harcourt, Isoko-Onitsha, Benin-Abuja and Calabar-Itu expressways.

“The government should adequately fund the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and the Niger Delta Ministry. We believe this project will generate well over five hundred thousand jobs opportunity for the youths of the region”.

While they commended the Federal Government for the recent release of some of the Chibok girls, they demanded that the government should in the spirit of true reconciliation release Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Leader, Nnamdi Kanu and the Shiite Leader, El Zakzaky.

Among the youth leaders at the meeting were the President, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, Mr. Udengs Eradiri (IYC), Comrade Egbo (Isoko Youths Council), Mathew Dighi (Ogoni Youths Council), Edward Odum (Ikwerre Youth Council) and Esimaje Awani (Itsekiri Youth Council).

By Ebere Ndukwu …

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