The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has called on the people of the Niger Delta region, particularly the leaders, to unite in order to tackle challenges in the region.
The monarch stated this at his palace when he received the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col Milland Dikio (retd.), in Warri, Delta state.
According to him, “Our heads have been held down for too long. We have always been capable of greatness, but the divisions among us have not allowed us to attain the greatness we desire.
“The desired destination can only be reached with the concerted efforts of all stakeholders in the region.
“All the things that sustained our ancestors are still here and still valid. From palm, cocoa, fish and so on. All we need to do is to use the resources to grow our economy and make life better for our people”
Atuwase charged Dikio to use his office to unite the people of the region, noting that the greatness of the Niger Delta is greatness for the nation too.
He said the region was blessed with many economic opportunities capable of changing its economy beyond oil and gas.
The monarch stated that only collective action backed by the sincerity of purpose would bring lasting peace and sustainable development to the region, as he pledged the support of his kingdom to the PAP.
Earlier in his remarks, the PAP boss explained that harnessing the various opportunities in the Niger Delta depended on peace in the region.
He explained that the importance of the Warri kingdom compelled the PAP to host a summit that would showcase the economic potential of the region.
“We have chosen the path of economic prosperity and we feel that there was no better place to start than the great city of Warri,” Dikio stated.
