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| GOVERNOR UDUAGHAN (3RD FROM RIGHT) DURING HIS MEETING WITH WORLD BANK’S OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON. |
The governor of Nigeria’s Delta State says peace is returning to the oil-rich area. About three weeks ago, the government granted an amnesty to militant groups who say they’re fighting for a greater share of the region’s oil revenues for state and local communities. As a result of the amnesty, violence has diminished.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, during a trip to the United States, says he’s guaranteeing improved security in the area. In fact, he says, the region is open for business.
“My message,” he says “is that Delta State is safe enough for any investor to come in and the investment will further strengthen the peace process that we have already built,” he says. “We have done a lot to ensure there is peace and security, especially for investors, and if they come, they are assured of security of their investments and a lot of profit.”
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is in Washington and New York City this week for meetings with government officials, businessmen and members of the Nigerian diaspora.
“As a state in the Niger Delta region and one of the nine in the area, Niger Delta has become an international issue and it requires everybody, both those at home, those that are here and of course the international community to achieve peace and development that we require,” he says.
For years, the region has been wracked by violent protests over environmental damage caused by oil drilling and complaints that the local area did not get a fair share of the oil revenue.
With most militant groups embracing the amnesty offer and disarming their members, Governor Uduaghan says security in the area has improved tremendously and the threat of either kidnapping of foreigners or the blowing up of oil facilities has been eliminated.
Skeptics should seek information from the area, he says, because all parties to the effort to bring permanent peace to the region will keep their end of the agreement.
“We have done a lot to make sure [the amnesty] succeeds. We are very optimistic [it] will succeed and if it [does], it is going to advance the peace process tremendously. It will be a very big avenue for the success of our peace process.”
TEXT OF INTERVIEW BELOW:
VOA: What are you doing to create a positive image of the state?
Uduaghan: My message to them is that Delta State is safe enough for any investor to come in and the investment will further strengthen the peace process, that we have already built, we have done a lot through our agenda on peace and security especially for investors and if they come, they are assured of the security of their investment and a lot of profit from their investment.
VOA: For those who are skeptical about this peace process, what do you have to say to them?
Uduaghan: We have a lot of hope on the amnesty, we have done a lot to make sure it succeeds and we are very optimistic that the amnesty will succeed, and if it succeeds, it is going to advance the peace process tremendously, it is a very big avenue for the success of our peace process.
VOA: Usually your other brother governors, don’t place a lot of emphasis on those in the Diaspora?
Uduaghan: All over the world, a lot of developed countries have succeeded because they have involved those in the Diaspora, China is a big example, Indian is another example even Israel is an example where Diaspora people play key role in the development of their country and of their state so, for us it cannot be different.
Secondly as a state we have a lot of human resources outside the state, human resources we believe can contribute tremendously to the development of this state. So that is the asset we are trying to tap by coming here.
VOA: Are you seeking a particular talent or a particular skill or is it just a mass movement of Deltans in Diaspora, you think you will find a gold that you need to move your state forward?
Uduaghan: We are not targeting any particular skill; we are targeting as many skills as possible because Delta has opportunities for various aspect of development, so those who can be involved in whatever manner are those we are actually targeting. We are targeting everyone that can contribute in one way or the other to the development of the state. The project really is to attract Deltan from every parts of the world, from Europe, Asia, America anywhere they are.
VOA: You are said to have on ground some infrastructure development, including building an International Airport, what is the thinking behind this?
Uduaghan: To be able to attract investment, you need some basic infrastructure, like transportation, – road, sea and air and the Asaba Airport have a lot of potentials for the Airport and to the glory of God we have gone far.
VOA: What message are you taking back from here after meeting your people in the US?
Uduaghan: Coming here has further strengthened my resolve of the possibility that Delta State can be the destination hub for any investor in the world. There are a lot of potentials in the state, which coming here and discussing with them, in fact some of them know so much about the state and we shared a lot of ideas. I also discovered that the international communities, they are interested in Delta State, what have been bothering them is peace and security, with the discussion we had and some of the assurances I gave to them and information I gave to them, I believe that they will take the decision to come to Delta because they are better informed now than they were before.
