Thursday, September 22, 2011
The Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has said the solution to Boko Haram upsurge and Jos crisis lies in a better communication among the religious, political and traditional leaders.


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Okorocha, who spoke to some international journalists on the sideline of the just concluded economic summit on Business in Nigeria at Washington DC, USA, said: “There must be a forum of people with different faith and belief to interact as a way of dousing rumours and other issues likely to cause disaffection and breach of peace in all the communities resident in Jos.”

He described Jos crisis as an unfortunate situation and called for a peace rally to unite all the warring groups that had lived together in Jos and to further heal ethnic hostilities that had destroyed the fabrics of unity in the state.

“Leaders must come together to solve this problem. Jos used to be a peaceful city where different ethnic groups lived and did businesses together. We should work to return Jos to what it used to be in the past,” . Okorocha said.

The governor also canvassed for more security measures to be put in place to ensure adequate protection of lives and property to end the unwarranted killings of innocent citizens by the groups that had infiltrated the city. He added that the issue of Boko Haram should concern all well-meaning Nigerians, stating that suicide bombing and terrorism were alien to the nation.

“Nigerians are not terrorists; Nigerians respect lives and what is happening today as regards to Boko Haram is alien to our culture and religion,” Okorocha said.

Another panacea to the Boko Haram security threat, he said, would be the provision of jobs for the unemployed youths in the country.

Okorocha, however, disclosed that his administration had put in place policies to revive all moribund industries in the state to create more jobs.

He called for the support of the people to enable his administration achieve its objectives, even as he expressed optimism on the fulfillment of promises by international investors to assist and support his government.
http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/22/521.html