Jonathan seeks peace, unity in Niger Delta

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged people of the Niger Delta to embrace peace and unity for the development of the nation.

Represented by the Vice President Namadi Sambo at the opening of the first Bayelsa Investment and Economic Forum which has the theme, “Unlocking Bayelsa State’s Economic Potentials: Opportunities and Challenges’’, the president said as a former deputy governor and governor of Bayelsa, he was aware of the untapped potentials in the state.

He, however, noted that such potentials could only be tapped in an atmosphere of peace and unity.

Jonathan said while the state is rich in oil and gas, the people must not restrict their interest to that sector. He tasked the state government to explore opportunities in agriculture, maritime and tourism among others, urging Bayelsans to complement the efforts of the government with creativity and hard work.

The president also charged the state government to embrace the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in project implementation, assuring that the quest by the government to develop the state would receive the support of the federal government.

Bayelsa Governor, Seriake Dickson, said the investment and economic forum was the climax of their philosophy of taking the state to the world and bringing the world to Bayelsa.

‘’Bayelsa is ready, safe and open for business. Bayelsa is Nigeria’s best kept economic secret waiting to be unveiled’’, he said.

He said when he declared emergency in the education sector, he was aiming at developing the needed manpower base to enhance the diversification of the state’s economy.

He said it was the same philosophy that informed the setting up of the Bayelsa Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC) which now has offices in South Africa and the United Kingdom to coordinate the drive for investment into the state.