Economic Growth Depends on Peace, Harmony, Says Onyema
Chinedu Eze
Chairman Air Peace and the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN), Allen Onyema has said for Nigeria to sustain and improve on present economic growth government must have to do everything possible to ensure peace and harmony in the country, especially in the Niger Delta.
Onyema said the incoming administration must ensure that the peace achieved under the former Nigerian President, the Late Umaru Musa Yar’adua, which was sustained by the out-going administration is sustained to ensure that economic activities going on in the region was not interrupted.
Onyema who said Nigeria would remain an indivisible country despite whatever upheavals that may arise made this known at the weekend in Lagos while receiving an award bestowed on him as patron and global youth leader by Independent Pan - African Youth Forum.
He urged Nigerians to continue to work towards the pursuit of peace, which he said is a panacea for economic prosperity and political stability and expressed support for the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration which he said would meet the expectation of Most Nigerians.
The FEHN boss said his organisation has been pursuing peace in the Niger Delta region for many years through youth engagement programmes, adding that the training of over 30,000 youth through the Presidential Amnesty Programme has brought relative peace to Nigeria for exploration of oil and gas activities in the Niger Delta region.
“Nigeria will not break up. That is why we should not relent in making our contributions for the sustenance of our democracy. Peace is key to economic national development, which could be only be achieved if there is peace in the Niger Delta region. It is for this reason that we must continue to call for support for the incoming government of Buhari. We have to drop our political leaning and allow democracy to work.” Onyema said.
He said he was excited over the award, which is evidence of the sacrifice he has made over the years. The training of restive youths in the Niger Delta region, adding that it was disheartening that despite his contributions to peace efforts in the Niger Delta region through youth engagement initiatives, he is yet to be recognised by government.
He attributed the peace in the Niger Delta region to the efforts of FEHN, which has trained over 72 per cent of youth trained under the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
“Some of ours have made sacrifice for the peace enjoyed in the Niger Delta region today . Credit should go to people who set the pace for peace in the region, which has brought about peace in Nigeria. Peace is key to national economic development. The level of progress achieved in the country today is traceable to the peace in the region where oil and gas activities are taking placed. Since 2004, these peace efforts have been on going.
It is for this reason that we must commend FEHN for running the most successful demobilisation, disarmament and rehabilitation programme in the world, more successful than the programmes run by United Nations in many parts of the world,” Onyema said.
In his remarks, the global president of Independent Pan - African Youth Forum , Comrade Obinna Sixtus Nwoke praised Onyema for his contributions to training restive youths from the Niger Delta region , which has helped in keeping Nigeria together through peace building
He said :” As a youth oriented group we are honouring the chairman of Air Peace today for his contributions to the development of Nigeria in the area of peace building.