BAYELSA State Governor, Seriake
Dickson, has advised the Federal
Government and militants in the
Niger Delta to perish the thought
that violence can be used to solve
the recurrent issue of resource con
trol in the region.
Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) had
declared war on the federal
government by destroyed national
assets and making government
incur huge financial losses running
to billions of naira while the
government had considered a
military option to checkmate them.
But, governor Dickson condemned
the development and urged the two
parties to come to a roundtable and
dialogue for peace and stability.
The governor gave the advice at the
weekend during the Ekiti State
University’s (EKSU) 21st
convocation in Ado-Ekiti where he
was garlanded with the institution’s
doctorate degree in Public
Administration in recognition of his
exemplary leadership.
Dickson received the honour
alongside the Chancellor of the
university and monarch of Aramoko-
Ekiti, Oba Abdul Azeez Olu Adegoke
Adeyemi, and Ekiti State-born legal
luminary, banker and oil and gas
magnate, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode,
while 18,685 candidates received
the institution’s degrees, diplomas
and post-graduate diplomas.
Dickson said: “We are all concerned
about the developments, all the
leaders are concerned about the
recent tough surge of insurgency.
We are collaborating on the way
forward. Those of us who are
governors are working hard with
traditional and opinion leaders as
well as security agencies. We are
also collaborating with other private
and corporate bodies to ensure that
we put it under control.
“The way forward is not war-war; it
is jaw-jaw. The way forward is
peace and dialogue, it is consensus
building and that is quite what some
of us are in support of, we are not in
support of violence, we are not in
support of brigandage, we are not in
support of destruction of strategic
national assets and killings.”
Expressing his appreciation to the
university and Ekiti on the honour,
he said: “It is a great privilege to
have been invited here and
decorated with this beautiful
academic robes. So, on behalf of our
people of Bayelsa, I bring warm
felicitations to the people of Ekiti
and my brother governor, Ayo
Fayose who is a visitor to this
wonderful university and who has
been doing a great job in the state
in spite of all the distractions.
“Ekiti State University has become a
model for other institutions.
“Just two days ago, I sent a team
from our state university to come
here and interact with your manage
ment with a view to finding out how
you are managing to pay salaries
without receiving the subventions
from your governor.
To the graduands he said: “I want to
congratulate you as you are entering
into another society, a society
where your aspiration should not be
to look for a white-collar jobs
because they simply are not there.
“My expectation for all of you is to
be wealth creators and employers of
labour.”
Governor Fayose also thanked the
school management for performing
admirably well.
“I want to appreciate the Governing
Council of the university for your
efforts and outstanding performance
at a time like this when financing
government has become a huge
challenge in the face of the
dwindling federal allocations.
“Your performance for the six
months has been commendable,” he
said
