Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Budget, Clement Agba, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and other national leaders have called on the Federal Government and countries across the world to proffer a lasting solution to the restiveness in the Niger Delta.
The call was made on Monday in Lagos at the launch of a book entitled, ‘No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: The Contentious Search for Peace in the Niger Delta’ authored by the trio of Jide Ajide, John Ashima and Oluwole Agunbiade, and published by Jijowo Publishers.
According to them, Nigeria and the world must work together to restore peace to the oil region, given its centrality to Nigeria’s national revenue.
Governor of Lagos State, Sanwo-Olu, represented by Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, while presenting his opening address, said it was impossible for businesses to thrive without peace, stressing that security had been a major challenge in Nigeria.
“I congratulate the authors because all we have been talking about in this nation recently is peace. Businesses cannot thrive without peace, and security has been one of our major national problems. I wonder why we cannot find a lasting restiveness in the Niger Delta. I call on Nigeria and the rest of the world to think of peace for the Niger Delta and for Nigeria at large because this is what we need at this critical point in time,” he said, adding that Lagos State had been seen as Africa’s investment hub due to the peace and security it had enjoyed over the years.
Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, who was represented by the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, Prof. Anthonia Taiye Simbine, said, “This book is timely and important as it exposes the huge problems in the Niger Delta where Nigeria makes the largest percentage of its national revenue.
“Therefore, finding a permanent solution to the restiveness in the Niger Delta becomes a must for all of us. I congratulate the authors and would recommend it to lovers of the Niger Delta, Nigeria and the world, as we can no longer sit and watch insecurity prevail in the region.”
