Asaba — YOUTHS in the Niger Delta region have been enjoined to adopt dialogue and peaceful approach to express their demands rather than resorting to arms and the use of violence.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security Matters, Hon. Mike Diden gave this counsel yesterday at Asaba. Hon. Diden who is also a Peoples Democratic (PDP) Party chieftain, spoke at the end of the organizations campaign tour against youth's restiveness in the Niger Delta Region.

He maintained that youth's restiveness had been of a great concern to the government and the oil companies operating in the region particularly the negative effects inflicted on the economy of the nation.

He decried the several years of neglect of the rich region by previous administration, but maintained that now that the present administration of President Umaru Musa Yar Adua had indicated interest in tackling the problems of several years of neglect, the youths of the region should cooperate with the government by ensuring that peace thrives in the region.

"I know government can not perform when there is violence, development can only take place in a state of calm, in a state of harmony, not in a state of violence. So, I believe that as long as there is a state of violence in that area, it will be difficult to provide the amenities the people require. It is better to sit on a round table and articulate your problems, get it resolved and get them implemented".

Hon. Diden said the tour which took the group to Cross River, River and Akwa Ibom was the first phase. The group leader listed oil spillages, uncontrolled gas flaring, and the opening up of their forces to loggers, indiscriminate canalization, flooding and earth tremors, as some of the problems the Niger Delta had to contend with in the past.

The Youths in the Niger Delta region decided to take up arms against the government in order to forcefully attract its attention to the long time neglect and environmental degradation suffered by the people of the area, effect of which, he said, would take more than a mere peace talk or master plan on a paper to wade off.

The adage, 'to whom much is taken, much is expected' is germane in this situation. Hon. Diden said, the present amnesty was only a palliative measure to stop hostage taking, kidnapping, pipeline vandalisation and hostilities in the oil rich region.

I also want to praise Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan the state governor for his intensive campaign against youth restiveness.

In the past two and half years, the Delta State government has worked diligently to provide the basic needs of the people in spite of the recent situation in the Niger Delta, Hon. Diden reiterated that Delta State had made good progress in the fields of education, road, bridge, infrastructure, employment and above all maintaining peace where conflict once existed and these are modest contributions to good governance."

The security expert explained that good governance was a democratic principal that puts a high premium on justice, fairness and equity", noting the current government policy and programmes are informed by a commitment to satisfy the aspiration of the electorate who gave Dr. Uduaghan a mandate to run the affairs of Delta State".