Alex Ekwueme Foundation

How to stop kidnapping, illegal bunkering -Uduaghan

By Sun News Publishing
Monday, January 12, 2009

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has said that the collective effort of everyone particularly the local media was needed to check kidnapping and illegal bunkering in the Niger-Delta Region.

Dr. Uduaghan who disclosed this during a live television interview programme Head To Head at the weekend stated that the foreign media was portraying the Niger-Delta region in a negative light, which has not helped to ensure peace in the region.

According to him “ Niger-Delta region is not properly represented by the foreign media, l believe that our own local media can represent the area very well because they have been there and have the true picture than the foreign media, this foreign media don’t have the interest of our nation.”
He explained that the state government was doing all within available resources to discourage kidnapping since it was a criminal act, stressing that the government do not pay ransom for anyone kidnapped.

In his words: “We must all collectively act especially the media condemn kidnapping, it is a criminal act, government does not pay ransom to kidnappers, we don’t encourage the act.”
Governor Uduaghan said the major goal of his administration was to enhance economic development and reduce criminality which include measures to enhance the urban status of major towns in the state through the provision of street lights and beautification steps, the construction of good road network and the Asaba international airport among others that has began to grow the economy of the state.
He announced that he was fully in charge of the administration of the state and does not allow people take decisions for him on how to manage the affairs of the state.

Emphasizing further, he said: “Nobody can run the government for any leader, there is no godfather that can run the government for me, l consult with Chief James lbori and a lot of others because of their wealth of experience, you cannot succeed without consulting people but l take responsibility of what happen in the state. This has brought peace to the state.”

He commended President Umaru Yar’Adua for the creation of the Niger-Delta Ministry and explained that much fund would be invested into the region through the Ministry to ensure peace and security.
He said that peace has returned to Delta State and expressed hope that the peace would be sustained.