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NOA
Boss Says Niger Delta Agitation is Justified
The Director-general, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alhaji Idi Farouk, yesterday said that the agitation by Niger Delta people for a national policy to develop the region was justified. Speaking in Uyo at the opening of a two-day round-table, organized by the agency, Farouk, however, said that such agitation should be devoid of violence. He said that part of the reasons for the crisis in the area was the absence of meaningful development of the region over the years. "Unfortunately, the region's contribution to the national economy has not translated into the development of the region," he noted. Farouk said the Niger Delta was strategic for Nigeria's economy with the potential to influence the dynamics of the international economy. He said that in spite of the challenges, there was a national and international consensus for a quick end to the crisis. "The heroic effort of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in the direction of finding a solution to this intractable problem must be commended," he added. The Akwa Ibom state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, represented by the permanent secretary, Special Duties, Mrs. Grace Iwok, appealed for calm while efforts at resolving the crises continued. |