BENIN CITY - Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has reiterated that no meaningful development can take place in the absence of peace and tranquility.

He stated this at the opening ceremony of a one-day Niger Delta Youth Summit, with the theme, “Niger Delta Youths Beyond the Amnesty,’ organized by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which took place last Friday, in Benin City.

The Governor who was represented at the occasion by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Oil/Gas, Edo State, Engr. Jackson Eribo, noted that the state government will continue to do all within its reach to ensure that peace and transquility reign in Edo State, to accelerate the development of the state, just as he assured that the state government will leave no stone unturned in its quest to ensure that youths in the state take their rightful place in the scheme of things.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has been charged to put necessary measures in place, with a view to having a data bank of all unemployed youths in the Niger Delta area of the country, in order to effectively tackle the problem of unemployment.

This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the one-day Niger Delta Youth Summit, which took place last Friday in Benin City.

Other issues contained in the 10-point communiqué include; implementation of the Niger Delta master – plan; stop gas flaring, provide adequate health facilities, resource control; grassroots research should be embarked upon, in order to carry local communities along in the scheme of things, among others.

Earlier in an address read on behalf of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by Mrs. Osato Areuyeka, Deputy Director, EHSS, NDDC, Port Harcourt, commended the President Umaru Yar’ Adua for granting amnesty to militants in the Niger Delta.

While noting that similar summits were taking place simultaneously in other states that make up the Niger Delta, the NDDC boss noted that the summits were put together with a view to charting a new down for Niger Deltans, especially the youth.

Two “papers’ were presented at the summit, ‘Exchanging Guns for Opportunities” and ‘Preparing the Niger Delta Youths for Socio-Economic Relevance”, delivered by Peter Edo- Asemota, Chief Magistrate, Edo State Judiciary and Mr. D.I. Osasogie, lecturer, Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, respectively.

The summit drew participants from various groups and associations in the state.