By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA—The Federal Government,  weekend, reiterated its commitment  to tackle the problems of underdevelopment and neglect confronting the Niger Delta region. Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity,  Mr. Femi Adesina, stated this at the passing out parade and deployment of 8,000 Peace Keepers, who graduated from the National Unity and Peace Corps training and peace resolution mechanism in Abuja.

Adesina said: “The faces of the men and women  I see today are those of people who have resolved that they will not belong to a nation that cannot feed its people and wants to keep them safe in their environment.”

Adesina, who was the Chairman of the occasion and was represented by Biodun  Oladunjoye, an Assistant Director in the Presidency, stressed that the government was not unaware of the current  challenges Nigerians were facing, adding that government was making efforts to change the negative narratives of unstable power, falling education standards, unsafe environment and unemployment.

He said  that the change the President proposed cannot come in an atmosphere of fear, distrust, kidnapping, vandalism and outright disobedience of law and order.

He admitted that civil society organisations have done a lot to educate Nigerians on the importance of non-violent resolution of crisis, social mobilisation and human rights observance, adding that more still neededto be done.

“Citizens are, therefore, enjoined to continue to hold government accountable to their promises through legitimate peaceful means. Citizens must be empowered to contribute to the culture of peace through various developmental programmes which is the only panacea for a meaningful development in any nation,” he said.

In his remark, the Commandant General of the National Unity and Peace Corps, NUPC, Dr. Chinedu Nneji, charged the graduates to see Nigeria as the only country they have and apply the knowledge and training gained to advance the peace of the nation.