Military might not the solution to Niger Delta crisis, says Dickson

Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state, says relying on force to resolve the crisis in the Niger Delta region cannot yield the desired result.

Addressing state house correspondents after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, Dickson said dialogue has a key role to play in restoring peace to the region.

He said stakeholders in the key region have the duty of mobilising the youths and to also bridge communication gap.

“The military solutions as I have always maintained is not the right option. We are hopeful that the ongoing discussions will yield the desired result,” he said.

“I have always been in support of negotiations, of dialogue as the sustainable way forward. Dialogue will bring out the issues and then we will all unite around these common issues to move our country forward.

“‎For us who are products of political system who are at this level, we have a duty to mobilise communal and local leadership, we have a duty to support the work of intelligence and security agencies are doing, we have a duty to ensure that issues are better appreciated and that we fill the communication gap.

“And where there are issues those issues need be addressed and is also our duty to network like I’m doing to ensure that problems that are identified as the route cause of some of these challenges are looked into.”

Dickson also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for not interfering with the governorship election in Bayelsa.

He extended a hand of fellowship to Timipre Sylva, his main opponent in the election, calling on Sylva to join hands with his administration to move Bayelsa forward.

“I want to use this opportunity to appreciate Mr. President for his non-interference   in the political processes that played out in Bayelsa in the last general election,” he said.

“And as you are also aware‎, yesterday the elections petition tribunal sitting in Abuja delivered judgement upholding my election and affirming my emergence as a true product of the democratic exercise of rights of our people in the December 5th and January 9th.

“There is no name they didn’t call, there is no claim that they didn’t make but I’m telling Nigerians, I’m telling Bayelsans to disregard all that propaganda, the President never had anything to do by way of negatively influencing of the last general elections in Bayelsa and also the outcome of the Tribunal proceedings.

“That is important because if our nation must move forward, if our democracy must be strengthened, if our nation must move forward, if our democracy must be strengthened, if our nation must be stable, then institutions must be allowed to grow.

“I want to use this opportunity to call on my opponent, brother and friend and fellow citizen of Bayelsa and all others to join hands with us so that we can render service to our people and a stronger more stable and prosperous Bayelsa.”