Port Harcourt — The United Nations Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Charles Lopse, has said that the situation in the Niger Delta was being blown out of proportion with the aim to scare away visitors and investors from the region.

"I think it is important for us to separate speculation from facts; we are on ground in the Niger Delta, so we know exactly what is going on here. There is a lot of rumour about the area, but there is also something that needed to be taken care of," Lopse said.

Speaking with the press shortly after a closed door meeting with Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, Lopse said there was the need to transmit the right image about the region.

He was of the view that "there is an image problem which needs to be managed and once it is handled, people would realize that the government is committed to the transformation of the area".

Speaking on scary travel advice to foreigners by their home governments, he explained that in spite of the security challenges in the region, its offices in Port Harcourt were functional, "because we have assessed the situation and identified areas that are dangerous.

"But not to exaggerate the situation and lump the entire area together as no-go-area, a lot of people live here, and they do not encounter any banditry or any security problem different from what they would find in many other countries, and different parts of Nigeria".

Lopse, who is also UNITAR Executive Director, said he had useful discussions with the state governor in terms of its work with stakeholders for capacity training and development of communities, and expressed satisfaction with the level of progress.

He said an excellent working relationship existed between his organization and the South-South states, especially Rivers State and expressed the hope that the collaborative effort would continue to be strengthened.