Over 30,000 ex-agitators in the Niger Delta region on Friday converged in Warri to say ‘No’ to the planned protests in the country on October 1st.
The youths, who vowed that the protest would not hold in any of the nine states in the Niger Delta, called on the people of region to “avoid protests before, during or after October 1, as the proponents are self-serving.”
Speaking through their leaders at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Presidential Amnesty Programme, led by its Administrator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, the repentant agitators assured that “the challenges of the Niger Delta region will be addressed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.”
Otuaro reiterated the importance of maintaining peace in the region, stressing that “constructive engagement with the government remains the best way to achieve progress and development”.
Otuaro said, “The Niger Delta people will not be part of any protest. The problems of the Niger Delta will be resolved by the President, but it is up to us to ensure our region is not used as a base for protests.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that our region is peaceful. It is in our hands to keep the Niger Delta secure and support the Federal Government’s efforts to improve our communities”.
Also addressing the gathering, a Niger Delta Leader, Paul Elvis, popularly known as General Ogubos, called for peace in the Niger Delta region, stressing that “war is not the solution to the region’s challenges”.
