Vice President attends All Niger-Delta Conference in USA
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Oct 19, 2007, 10:13

In furtherance of the relentless efforts of the Federal Government towards addressing the Niger Delta question, the Vice President Dr Goodluck Jonathan, on October 17 was at Houston, Texas in the United States of America to attend the All Niger-Delta Peoples Conference.

The Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America, Alhaji Usman Baraya, in company of the Consul General of Nigeria in Atlanta, USA, Mr Chudo Okafor received the vice President on arrival at the Bush International Airport Houston, Texas.

In his speech titled “The Niger Delta”, Vice-President Jonathan gave an insight into the federal government’s road map for managing the crisis in the Niger Delta and disclosed that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had authorised the release of all funds due the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for projects earmarked for growth and development adding “Special funds will be provided for special projects in line with the master plan”.

He said that he has been mandated by the President, to co-ordinate federal ministries, NDDC and oil companies working in the region, making it the first time that ministries, agencies, states and oil companies will be co-ordinated by a single office to handle the situation.

He stated further that the Niger Delta Regional Master Plan, which was sponsored by the NDDC, has been adopted as the basis for infrastructures and socio-economic development and all federal ministries have been given copies for the purpose of budgeting.

According to him, the administration of Umar Musa Yar’Adua has the political will to engineer change in the area, which will in turn drive economic development.

He expressed optimism that this government has the will to put an end to this crisis noting that now that the federal government is totally committed to the development of the region, peace and stability would return to the region.

He declared, “We have no other option. This is the time to say no to taking oil workers hostage, no vandalism of oil installations, no to piracy and no to cult wars and killings of innocent people”.

“We must all collectively provide security in the Niger Delta. For the Niger Delta, this is the time for peace, time for dialogue and time for development. We must maximally explore the opportunities set forth by this administration,” he added.

While commending Nigerians in Diaspora for organising the event, he challenged them to take advantage of the opportunity to make valuable contributions to their country based on their wealth of experience and urged them to consider themselves as part and parcel of the solutions being sought.

He observed that, “You have to fix the Niger Delta in order to fix Nigeria. You have to fix Nigeria to fix Africa and to fix the world, you have to fix Africa.”

Vice President Jonathan who traced the history of kidnapping in the Niger Delta to the pre-colonial times, when King Jaja of Opobo was kidnapped in September 1897 and exiled to the West Indies where he died, over the struggle for the control of oil palm trade with the Europeans, expressed optimism that the Niger Delta must Win the Peace noting that the people must become agents of hope and resist the appropriation of wealth by a few.

He disclosed that the government before the end of the year would hold an international summit on the Niger Delta and that it is in line with this that he has been negotiating and dialoguing with various groups.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Ojo Maduekwe, represented by the Deputy Head of Chancery, Nigerian Embassy Washington DC, Ambassador Usman Baraya, assured of government’s readiness to achieve the seven-point agenda of the administration, with the Niger Delta as a priority.

The Chairman of the ANDPC North America, George Anibowei, represented by Lincoln Sneider, noted that the government had promoted a spirit of inclusiveness by way of its approach to solving the problem.

The Consulate General of the Nigerian Embassy in Atlanta, Dr Okafor, observed that Nigeria expected from the Diaspora similar roles played by the American Jews in the development of Israel and the Indian Diaspora in the development of their motherland.

The conference which held at Four-Season Hotel, Houston, Texas, USA, had in attendance prominent Nigerians particularly indigenes of Niger Delta, Nigerians in Diaspora and representatives of international agencies.


{Click for pictures at the event}


In furtherance of the relentless efforts of the Federal Government towards addressing the Niger Delta question, the Vice President Dr Goodluck Jonathan, on October 17 arrived Houston, Texas in the United States of America to attend the Niger-Delta Peoples Congress.The Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America, Alhaji Usman Baraya, in company of the Consul General of Nigeria in Atlanta, USA, Mr Chudo Okafor received the vice President on arrival at the Bush International Airport Houston, Texas.

The conference which held at Four-Season Hotel, Houston, Texas, USA, had in attendance prominent Nigerians particularly indigenes of Niger Delta, Nigerians in Diaspora and representatives of international agencies.


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