GAN GAN! No Investor Will Come To South South, Oshiomhole Warns

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has condemned the activities of
militancy in the Niger Delta and South East region, stating that no
investor will come to a place that is not safe.
Oshiomhole made this known when the Leadership of the National
Assembly paid him a condolence visit yesterday on the demise of the
Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa.


He said: "Nothing justifies the destruction of public property and I hope
that our leaders, traditional rulers and community leaders will try to
prevail on us to say that these assets are ours, no investor will come to a
place that is not safe. It does not matter who is responsible for the
insecurity.

And if there is one thing we badly need in the South South it is to have
the real direct foreign and local investment, not only to take crude and
export but to reform it and establish petro chemical industries that will
create opportunities so that a lot of things that we are importing today,
we can begin to produce them here and even export them. And this is the
only time we will be able to create jobs for our youths.

"I don't believe that the long term solution is the hand out they call
amnesty for our youths, people want to work and unfortunately these
very worrisome headlines coming from this region can only scare away
those who are already here not to talk of bringing in new people.

But I am very proud that on this issue, across the divide I have not heard
any one celebrating what is going on. And we should rise to condemn all
ethnic champions, whether they are South South or South East or the
North, I believe that our diversity is a source of strength".

Senate President Bukola Saraki who was represented by his Deputy Ike
Ekweremadu expressed worry over the number of deaths being recorded
both in the Niger Delta and the South-East due to the latest uprising by
militants in the Niger Delta and agitators of the state of Biafra.

While regretting that the Oba's demise happened now that the nation is
facing serious security challenges, the Senate President said, "We are
particularly worried that he is no more at this particular time that we are
faced with challenges. We know the role he has played in the past, we
believe that if he was with us today, he will help us in resolving most of
the national questions confronting us today.
"We are having challenges of insecurity especially in the Niger Delta.

We are worried with the resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta. I
believe that as leaders in the Niger Delta, we have to come up with
solutions as to how to resolve it. Because he who wears the shoes knows
where it pinches. We are worried about several conflicts now in the
country, we have conflict in the North East, South South and now in the
South East.

"We are not only worried in terms of the economic implications but the
number of lives being lost because the life of every Nigerian means a lot
to us. We are worried about the social implications it means to us as a
nation. We want to appeal that the best we can do for the late Oba is for
the leaders to rise up and find solution to the problems.

We have had challenges in the past and our forebears were there to
resolve the crisis, and now that it is our time the people of Nigeria expect
us to find brilliant and workable solutions to our national questions. We
believe that people like you and our colleagues here will find solution to
these problems".

(NL)