Ogidigen Gas Park: Jonathan Calls For Speedy Resolution Of Dispute

Source: pointblanknews.com

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has noted with regret the very

unnecessary controversy and acrimony that has arisen over the postponement

of the ground-breaking ceremony for the Gas Revolution Industrial Park at

Ogidigben in the Warri South West Local Government Area.

 
President Jonathan is deeply saddened by the very unjust, uncharitable and

unwarranted accusations of nepotism and partisanship that have been made

against him in the wake of the postponement.
 
The President is particularly dismayed by the unseemly resort to the

abusive denigration of his personal integrity and the whipping up of

divisive ethnic sentiments by parties to the totally needless communal

disagreement that resulted in the decision to reschedule the

ground-breaking event.
 
It should be apparent to all Nigerians by now that while President

Jonathan may be affiliated to the Ijaw ethnic group by birth, he knows

fully well that he was elected President of all Nigerians and has always

shown by word and deed that he will always uphold the oath he swore on

assumption of office to protect and promote the interests of all citizens

with justice, equity and fairness to all as his guiding principles.

 
The elders, community leaders and parties to the dispute over the location

and ground-breaking event for the Gas Industrial Revolution Park who have

resorted to threats and accusations of partisanship against the President

in press conferences and paid adverts in newspapers are therefore being

most unfair to him and doing a great disservice to continuing efforts to

forge greater national unity and peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians.

 
We assure all concerned persons that as the leader of the nation,

President Jonathan is not, and cannot be on the side of any party to the

avoidable dispute over the location and ownership of the site of the Gas

Revolution Industrial Park.
 
The project itself was conceived for the benefit of all Nigerians, not

just Itsekiris, Ijaws, Urhobos or other ethnic groups in its immediate

 
In terms of employment opportunities, it is projected that the Gas

Industrial Revolution Park will ultimately create up to three million jobs

for Nigerians in its catchment area and other parts of the country.

 
All the people of Delta State and Nigerians living in other parts of the

country will also benefit greatly from the project by way of improved

power supply and other ancillary products such as fertilizers,

petrochemicals and more raw materials to boost local industrial

 
President Jonathan therefore urges all parties to the communal dispute

over the location and ownership of the site of the Gas Industrial

Revolution Park to cooperate fully with ongoing efforts by the Federal

Government and the Delta State government to peacefully resolve all

outstanding issues so that the project can proceed apace for the benefit

of local communities, all Nigerians and investors.

 
For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, the postponement of the

ground-breaking ceremony for the project earlier scheduled for last Friday

was not in furtherance of any anti-Itsekiri agenda.

 
Rather, it was borne out of the clear need to give all concerned parties

more time to achieve the communal peace, understanding and harmony that

will greatly facilitate the project's speedy actualization for the benefit

of Itsekiris, Ijaws, Urhobos, Ibos, Isokos and all other Nigerians.

 
In the greater interest of the nation, President Jonathan expects the

respected elders and leaders of the concerned communities to heed the

pleas of Federal and state government mediators and expeditiously resolve

their differences for the good of all and the progress of the country.

 
He looks forward to coming to perform the ground-breaking ceremony for the

Gas Industrial Revolution Park very soon in conditions of communal peace,

unity and harmony.
 
 
 
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