Before we start saying anything I think I owe it a duty and a responsibility as the chief executive of Delta State to apologize to all journalists in Nigeria for the very ugly incident that happened in this state in the last two days in which 14 journalists were unfortunately held hostage. I say the act itself is unfortunate, it is condemnable. Let me assure everyone that the presidency and the president himself has ordered a thorough investigation into the issue and I want to assure you that anyone who is found guilty will be handled adequately by the security agencies. Let me also quickly say that what has happened in that area, the Warri South West in the last one week is very unfortunate. It is a 16billion dollars project that the president graciously approved almost two years back to be located in our land. Many other states lobbied seriously for this project but the president approved that this project should be located in Delta State. It was possible for him to have said ‘look let this project be taken elsewhere’ and with all the challenges we had, it was also possible for him to have said ‘we are moving this thing elsewhere’. Do not forget that the initial location of the project was Koko, but when the investors came and they found that the water channels was quite shallow and to drain the waterways would cost a lot of money they advised that it should be relocated from there and of course the most adequate place was the land at Ogidigben. The first stage, the land was found and an extension was also found for that land when it was now known that the deep-sea port had to be constructed as part of the gas city. I also found it very unfortunate and objectionable for anyone to accuse Mr. President of being partisan and ask him to resign. If the President did not love Delta State he would not have brought the project here. He has been to Delta State at least twice this year and to that part of the state to flag off a very key project. Is that a man we should be accusing of having hatred for us? I dont think it is right for people to ask him to resign and as I told them when they said it, I said they must separate the issues, let them deal with the issues and stop being personal. If you have personal issues with anybody dont bring it to the issue of this gas project because Mr. President means well, I mean well and we are determined to ensure that that project kicks off. What has happened is unfortunate but let us all peacefully try to put our heads together and ensure that the project kicks off because like it has been explained by the Presidents media man that the project is enough to absorb not only Itsekiri or Ijaw or Deltans but even Nigerians. Everyone will benefit from that project if we allow the project to kick off. So I want to appeal to us especially those of us from that area that the talk that is going on should quickly be put to an end. Investors are waiting, investors are watching; let us not use our hand to drive away the investors and to drive away the investments. ***Being excerpts of Governor Uduaghan’s address at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Press Week of the Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, at Asaba today Tuesday November, 18 2014 READ MORE: deltastate.ng/Delta/News-and-Events/
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 09:00:01 +0000
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