My President,you are deceiving yourself, NOT Nigerians. . . . . . . http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=149351
Yar’Adua: Days of Militancy are Over
From Segun James in Yenagoa, 07.21.2009
“The days of militancy in the Niger Delta region are over and gone for good,” President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua said in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday during his one-day state visit.
He also told the people of the Niger Delta that “now is the time to join hands with the Federal Government to effectively develop the region”.
The President said the government had been fervently committed to the prompt payment of all statutory allocations to the states in the region and the three intervention agencies created to ensure the development of the Niger Delta.
He, however, added that the cooperation of the people was crucial “in order to achieve justice and fair play which are the enablers for development”.
On the amnesty offer to militants operating in the creeks of the region, the President maintained that the offer was real and was aimed at ensuring the peace and stability in the Niger Delta and not a ruse as being painted by some sections of the youths.
His words: “But all these will come to naught without peace, without trust, without cooperation of all stakeholders and without security of lives and property for the people and foreign investors. Let me therefore use this opportunity to state categorically that our amnesty offer to militants is not a ruse. It is for real.
“To those who genuinely took up arms to draw attention to the sad situation in this region, I say to you: we have heard you and we are ready to work with you to move the Niger Delta forward in the interest of its long-suffering people. But to those hiding under the cover of legitimate protest to feather private nests, those merchants of violence, I say to you: change your ways, the people of Niger Delta have seen through your antics and will soon expose you.
“To all the well-meaning people of the Niger Delta, I urge you to give us a chance to earn your trust and collaborate with you to give this region its just dues. My hope is that soon, this region will be transformed into a development hub not only for Nigeria but also for the West African sub-region, in a way that will surpass the recent post-conflict transformation of Angola. But this cannot happen without peace and partnership.”
The President reiterated the determination of his administration to achieve 6000 megawatts of electricity by the end of this year, while striving to reach the 10,000 megawatts level by 2011.
He said the power sector was crucial to the development of the country, hence it is one of the seven-point agenda of his administration.
He admitted that achieving the lofty dream of 10,000 megawatts is an enormous challenge, but reiterated his believe that it is achievable.
Earlier, Governor Timipre Sylva had lamented to the President that he inherited “a state with virtually dilapidated or non-existent infrastructure, and a people agitated by lack of development, growing insecurity, poverty, and pain”.
He said that even the Gloryland Castle that Yar’Adua inaugurated was started by former governor DSP Alamieyeseigha and later abandoned.
“In fact, the challenges were so daunting that even getting our people to believe in our collective ability to surmount these problems was difficult,” he said.
He commended the efforts of Yar’Adua at rekindling the hopes of the people in the region most especially the inclusion of the Niger Delta development in his seven-point agenda.
He disclosed that his government was following the plan of the Federal Government at fast-tracking development in the state.
He said: “Bayelsa State development agenda is in furtherance of the Federal Government’s smoothly articulated seven-point agenda, involving provision of critical infrastructure, resolution of the Niger Delta crisis, assurance of food security, development of human capital, review of the land tenure and home ownership systems, national security and intelligence and wealth creation.”
Sylva boasted that if his administration had failed to complete the various projects that the President inaugurated yesterday, “no administration will have been able to complete them”, adding that “it is a testament to our determination and commitment to our people that we decided early in the life of this government to complete the projects started by preceding administrations rather than start fresh ones to score cheap political points at the expense of our people, and development”.
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