Forum Lauds NDDC Official for Peace Effort
From John Iwori in Yenagoa
The role played by NDDC Executive Director Finance and Administration, Timi Alaibe in resolving the Niger Delta crisis has been lauded.
Spokesman, Ijaw Solidarity Forum, Comrade Thomas Ebikibina said in the Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa that the NDDC chieftain was instrumental to the recent cease fire declared by the leader of the Nigeria Delta People Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Asari Dokubo.
Ebikibina contended that if not for the role played by Alaibe, the NDPVF leader would not have agreed to come out of his hideout in the mangrove forest of the Niger Delta to negotiate with the Federal Government in Abuja.
He noted that Alaibe's involvement in the saga was because there was mutual distrust and suspicion from both parties as a result of several top government officials interest in the 2003 general election in Rivers State.
"If you read through all the interviews granted by Dokubo in the media, he has been consistent in saying that he was persuaded to come out of his hideout in the creeks and go to Abuja for negotiation with the federal government. The Ijaw Solidarity Forum wishes to confirm without any iota of contradiction that it was Mr. Timi Alaibe that played that role.
"He did not only meet with Dokubo in his hideout in Bayelsa State, but he also persuaded him to embark on the trip to Abuja by assuring him of his safety. This was the genesis of the peace accord brokered by the federal government because if Dokubo has not agreed to embark on the trip, the prevailing peace in the Niger Delta region would not have been attained", Ebikibina said.
The Ijaw Solidarity Forum spokesman said Alaibe was able to persuade the NDPVF leader because of the rapport between them.
According to him, Dokubo was one of the numerous beneficiaries of NDDC youth empowerment programmes.
He disclosed that under this programme, Dokubo's company was given a contract for the security of NDDC headquarters office in old G.R.A. Port Harcourt, even as he added that it was during this period Alaibe and Dokubo struck a relationship.
He maintained that it was the warm relationship between Alaibe and Dokubo that made the NDPVF leader to listen when he visited his hideout late in the night preceding his movement to Abuja.
Ebikibina commended Alaibe for the giant strides he has made over the years, especially the empowerment of youth in the Niger Delta region.
Said he: "not long ago, NDDC donated several 500 KVA transformers to the Bayelsa State government Independent Power Project (IPP). We are aware that the commission didn't just woke up one morning to make the donation. Somebody was instrumental. And we want to place it on record the effort of Alaibe in this regard. This is because Bayelsa State remains the only state in the federation yet to be connected to the national grid and anything done to encourage the state should be commended".
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