…Celebrates 80th Birthday with pomp
 
Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief & Luminous Jannamike
 
His Royal Majesty, King Edmund Daukoru, the Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom marked his 80th Birthday with pomp in Abuja, yesterday, with a pledge to work for the well-being of Nigeria. 
 
There have been renewed agitations for resource control among the youth of the oil-rich Niger-Delta, as they identified resource control as the only remedy for a New Niger-Delta.
 
According to the Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom, he would work with the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, (Ọjájá II),  the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar and other traditional rulers to ensure the socio-economic development and peace in the nation.
 
His words, “And to the two pillars of the Traditional institution at the present time, the great ” uniter” and friend of all, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, and His Imperial Majesty the Ooni of Ife.  Be assured that the South South will continue to work with you, at least for the duration of my leadership, to achieve all that is best for our nation, Nigeria, and the royal institution.”
 
Dr. Daukoru who described himself as “a rural boy-child born in the intrepid ancient city state of Nembe, in what is now Bayelsa State” grew to become a successful technocrat and business icon by the mercy and grace of God. 
 
“That skinny infant boy providentially survived several near misses, over and above the general high infant mortality rate of those days, to become a rotund old man of 80. 
 “
…The larger point, first, is that only God Almighty raises the lowly, often when by their own self-assessment, they deserve no merit.”
 
The celebrant called for proper funding Local Governments in the country, being the closest to the people in other to perform their statutory responsibilities.
 
He said, “It is not my intention to bore you with the details of community development, but it will be a major omission on my part if I closed without saying anything at all about it. Nigeria has 774 LGA’s, which are recognized in the Constitution, and are part of the budgeting process of the States. Their functionality and economic well-being is a prime responsibility of the States. But since the past two decades, if not three, they have become a drain on national resources instead of being development centers and the foundation of national economic production. 
 
“Thus, after all is said and done, it is these empty shells of the economic dream of the mid-seventies that the kings in the present time have to oversee in some form or other.” 
 
He indicated that he would soon launch the next phase of the development of his kingdom which would encompass a gas-turbine, integrated farming and fish culture; land reclamation and large-scale reticulated water system.
 
In a message, former President Olusegun Obasanjo commended King Daukoru for his, Uncommon courage, leadership,  vision, loyalty, unbounded patriotism for his people and country. 
 
Earlier, the Ooni described King Daukoru as “a Natural Bridge Builder who was always at the forefront of ensuring peace in the country.
 
The Yoruba foremost traditional ruler said that politicians would come and go but that Nigerians had no other country to call their own and that as such must keep the peace.
The Sultan praised the Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom for his contributions to nation building in general and his roles in the development of Nigeria’s oil and gas, in particular.
 
“We should learn from our history and it is essential that our statesmen write their own histories so that others won’t tell lies about them when they are gone,” the Sultan said.
 
  
Develop the Nigeria Delta for energy security- Kpakol
 
In his lecture, Prof. Magnus Kpakol, the former Chief Economic Adviser to ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, emphasized the crucial role of the Niger Delta in Nigeria’s development and the imperative of energy security for accelerating rural development.
 
He made these remarks on Thursday while delivering the Birthday Lecture and Book Launch of ‘Lips of A Legacy’, a biography celebrating the 80th birthday of  King Daukoru
 
He said, “The Niger Delta is widely recognized as the backbone of Nigeria’s development. It is indisputable that the nation, as it stands today, cannot achieve success without the progress and advancement of the Niger Delta. 
 
“I am not stating this as a mere opinion; it is an undeniable fact. The Niger Delta holds the key resources essential for Nigeria’s development.”
 
Prof. Kpakol  also urged the nation’s leaders to prioritize human capital development and institutionalize it throughout the country.
 
“Consequently, the country must prioritize certain areas: energy security, human capital development, and industrialization in the Niger-Delta.
 
By doing so, Nigeria will safeguard itself because the development of the Niger Delta must be an integral part of the nation’s progress,” Prof. Kpakol stressed. 
 
He further underscored the necessity of a clear plan and intentionality in addition to simply providing electricity. 
 
Paying tribute to the King, the CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said, “As an accomplished technocrat who has served the country in various capacities at different times, you maintained an unblemished record in public service.”