Delta State Government has charged leaders and youths in the state to always maintain peace and unity in their various communities in order to create an ambience that would stimulate sustainable growth and development across the state.
The Senior Policy Adviser to the governor, Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon gave the charge today while addressing members of Isieke Community in Asaba who were in Government House for a peaceful protest over land related issue between the community and the state government.
Rt. Hon. Funkekeme who addrseed the people on behalf of the state governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, harped on the need for communities to always embrace dialogue as a veritable tool for resolving any conflict.
He commended the protesters for conducting themselves in a peaceful and responsible manner during the protest, adding that every citizen has a right to be heard.
According to him, the government of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is a people and friendly government, stressing that Governor Oborevwori was aware of the economic quagmire affecting everybody in the contemporary Nigerian society.
“His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oboriwori would have loved to be here in person to listen to you but he is out of town and I am here to represent him.
“I am Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, Governor’s Senior Policy Adviser. I thank you for the way you have conducted yourselves this morning. Every citizen has a right to be heard.
“His Excellency is grateful for you not to have taken the laws into your hands and for this maturity you have displayed by coming to draw our attention to the matter you have raised.
“Let me assure you that this government is a people friendly government. The man Sheriff is a man that is aware of where it pinches and the economic quagmire that is affecting the people.
“He has also told you severally, that he is the governor for all Deltans. Therefore, anything affecting any part of the state is also affecting him,” the Senior Policy Adviser to the governor said.
He noted that the issue they raised in their protest letter was so weighty that it requires investigation, adding that he would bring the matter to the governor’s attention for investigation and appropriate action where necessary.
“You have raised a weighty matter that requires investigation; so, I want to appeal to all of you that I will bring this issue that you have raised to his attention and I am very sure that he will attend to it.
“I am happy that you have a contact here in this address, he will be contacted and a delegation may be required to come to the government house for further briefing.
“In the main time, please return to your community and maintain the peace you have assured us that you will maintain. There is no way you can get results if you are not peaceful,” Rt. Hon. Funkekeme said.
Earlier, the spokesman of the community, Ogbueshi Nelson Nwanze Nwoye told the Senior Policy Adviser to the governor that they were in Government House to register their protest over the “stop work notice” served on their community by the Delta State Urban and Regional Planning Board.
Ogbueshi Nwoye disclosed that the notice was contrary to the understanding that they had with the office of the Surveyor General of Delta State when they met with the Deputy Surveyor General in the person of Surveyor Jibunor.
According to him, Surveyor Jibunor told them that certain portion of their ancestral land which was inherited from their fore-fathers was outside the government acquired area.
PRESS UNIT,
GOVT.HOUSE, ASABA
