Youths in the Niger Delta region on Friday disassociated themselves from the Oct. 1 planned nationwide protest.
The youths, in their thousands, stormed Effurun to make their position known at a Stakeholders’/Engagement Forum convened by the Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Effurun is the administrative headquarters of Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta.
The youths declared their stand on the planned uprising, pledging their continuous support for the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
They called on their colleagues in the region to shun the proposed protest, assuring that Tinubu was committed to addressing the various challenges confronting the region.
Earlier, PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, had urged the Niger Delta people to resist any call for a protest.
Otuaro noted that the peace and stability in the Niger Delta rest in the hands of its residents and urged them to continue to remain peaceful.
He said that constructive engagement with the government was paramount to achieving growth and development.
The PAP boss disclosed that construction work would soon resume on the East-West Road, which, according to him, is a major artery in the Niger Delta.
“The President means well for the Niger Delta, and we must support his efforts to bring development to our region.
“The Niger Delta people will not be part of any protest.
“The problems of the Niger Delta will be resolved by the president, but it is up to us to ensure our region is not used as a base for protests.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that our region is peaceful.
“It is in our hands to keep the Niger Delta secure and support the Federal Government’s efforts to improve our communities,” Otuaro said.
On his part, a leader in the Niger Delta, Mr Paul Elvis, sued for peace, emphasising that crisis was not the panacea to the challenges bedevilling the region.
He stressed the importance of dialogue in resolving disputes, noting that peace could not be attained in an atmosphere of rancour and acrimony.
“We must understand that violence will only lead to more destruction and suffering in our communities.
“Our people have legitimate concerns, but we must channel these grievances through dialogue, not violence,” he said.
NAN recalls that PAP held a similar engagement on Wednesday with women groups drawn from the various ethnic nationalities in the region. (NAN)
