Nation
Ex-Envoy Wants FG To Stage Reconciliation Conference, Oct
A former Nigerian envoy, Dr Nnamdi Onochie, has advised the Federal Government to stage a truth, peace and reconciliation conference of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities in October, to douse tensions nationwide.
In a statement he released in Abuja yesterday, Onochie, a notable peace campaigner and elder statesman, said the conference should be staged soonest to tackle rising political tensions and curb violence, including recurring abductions of school children.
Expressing his concern in what he tagged: “Urgent Open Letter to the Federal, States and Other Levels of Government’’, the former diplomat expressed worry over “the drumbeats of war and disintegration’’ as Nigeria gets set for another general elections in 2023.
He said that endless violence, wickedness and kidnapping of innocent Nigerians, including kids had made it imperative for opinion leaders in the country to discuss the problems openly and frankly to sustain Nigerian unity and peace.
“The conference will draw the roadmap for devolution of powers and other issues in the country before the general elections in 2023,’’ he said, noting that dialogue was the magic wand to resolving all conflicts.
Onochie, who is also a chieftain of the PDP called on Nigerians, irrespective of parties, religious and ethnic affiliations to put down their differences and allow peace to reign, to build a strong and united nation.
He re-stated his appeal to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to address the root causes of the problems currently bedeviling the country, especially the issues of perceived marginalisation and social injustice.
“The persistent calls for secession and agitations for self-determination by some ethnic nationalities show that the ship of state may be currently adrift and requires concerted stabilisation and fortification.
“Government at all levels, especially the Federal Government, needs to dedicate greater financial resources to reduce the cost of living, hunger, hardship and eliminate social wickedness such as killing and butchering of Nigerians for body-part sales by fellow Nigerians.
“Our country today is highly divided along ethnic, social and religious lines, this should not be. So the APC should urgently tackle the issues by finding a middle ground for discussion as a way forward.”
The former commissioner for special duties in Delta, said it had become clear that Nigeria was on precipice with arms-bearing non-state actors menacingly over-running state institutions and eroding Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“If I were the president of Nigeria, I will find a middle ground to end all the agitations for secession, religious extremism, inhumanity and other crippling issues holding down our country from year to year.
“My proposal to the Federal Government is to ensure that staging of the dialogue doesn’t go beyond October this year, and participants should include top government functionaries, leaders of political parties, national assembly members, business leaders, traditional rulers and civil society groups, among others.
Onochie, who has disclosed his intention to vie for the presidential slot in 2023 also advised the Federal Government to take urgent steps to tackle “looming hunger and hopelessness in the country’’ and to address rising cost of living.
He also re-stated his warning to government to desist from seeking additional foreign loans for Nigeria, to prevent the country from being given conditions or prescriptions by external institutions that would worsen prevail human conditions in the country.
Onochie, however, pleaded with Nigerians to give their unalloyed support to government in its current efforts to make Nigeria to rise to greatness and be the envy of other nations in the global community.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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