THE Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has congratulated the Akwa Ibom State governor, Emmanuel Udom, on the completion and inauguration of the 21-storey, 104-meters-high edifice, Dakkada Tower, in Uyo, the state capital.
The Niger Delta apex socio-cultural group, reiterated its call on international oil companies (IOCs) to relocate their headquarters to the region as earlier directed by the presidency some years ago.
National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Ken Robinson, in a statement on Sunday, said PANDEF was delighted at the amazing feat by Udom, especially given the current economic realities in the country.
“Dakkada Tower has not only given Uyo a new status, but has prompted cheerful excitement and new storylines across the Niger Delta region, Nigeria and the world.
“It is a ‘silencer’ of the naysayers and has harshly negated the irritating narratives, stacked with fallacies and illusions against the region, underwritten by antagonists and mischief-makers,” Robinson stated.
The group affirmed that “the expressions of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the commissioning of the Tower were apposite, as usual, particularly that with the development, ‘international oil companies have no excuse not to relocate their administrative headquarters to the state.
“Blandishments are no longer acceptable. PANDEF doesn’t need to recall that it was in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, that the vice president, as acting president, in March 2017, gave the directive to IOCs to relocate their operational headquarters to the Niger Delta, during a town hall meeting in continuation of his visit to the region, to dialogue with stakeholders.
“It is baffling that, over four years after, the Federal Government has continued to show apathy in enforcing its directive, thereby denying the region the benefits derivable from the relocation of the IOCs.
“That is a grave disservice to those in whose land the industry operates. Meanwhile, oil and gas exploration activities continue to degrade the region’s ecosystem and attenuate the people’s means of livelihood, with little or no effort to ameliorate their consequential dire standard of living.
“What is expected from President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration now, is a “Presidential Order” to the IOCs, to move their operational headquarters to the Niger Delta region, without any furtherpretexts.
While relishing the significance of the gigantic edifice, the group submitted that the “Dakkada Tower is undoubtedly, a bold, tall and decisive statement of commitment by the governor to make a lasting difference in the state.
“The structure is outstanding and quintessential of the innovative and giant developmental strides, not only in Akwa Ibom State but all the other States of the South-South Zone.
“The entire South-South zone could be turned into a huge economic corridor and a global high-value industrial hub. What is needed now, is purposeful, planned and strong regional integration.
“The governments and people of the zone have to work together with greater understanding, at various levels.
“Wildly, it would be engaging to have the latitude to chime Udom’s classic theme across the region.”
“Let the people arise and step up to a greater Niger Delta of peace, exponential prosperity and development, for present and future generations. It is a call to action.”
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