By Festus Ahon

UGHELLI – THE Niger Delta Youth Movement, NDYM, has urged the Federal Government to commence the remediation and reclamation of the Niger Delta agricultural lands polluted by crude oil since the beginning of oil exploration in the region.

National president of the NDYM, Mr. Godspower Odenema, said in a statement, yesterday, that the issue was becoming more worrisome since agriculture was the mainstay of the people of the region.

He said: “We, the leaders of the youths of the Niger Delta region, having identified agriculture as being able to solve the chronic problem of unemployment for millions of our youths, have decided to vigoriously mobilise our youths to take to farming.

“It is a truism that very fertile agricultural land on which the people of the Niger Delta depended on for economic sustenance before the discovery of oil have been heavily polluted by crude oil. We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to commence the process of remediation and reclamation of these farmlands to make them agriculturally useful again.

“We call on the ministries of Agriculture and Niger Delta, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority, banks, oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta to get ready to come to our aid as we shall come knocking for assistance.

“The youths of the Niger Delta thank Mr. President for appointing well seasoned technocrats and impeccable politicians as Ministers,” he added.