By Festus Ahon

ASABA—PRESIDENT of Niger Delta Youth Council, NDYC, Daniel Etaga, has appealed to militants in the region to cease fire and embrace dialogue in the interest of peace.

Etaga in his acceptance speech after his election as President of the group in Calabar, Cross River State, said; “It is quite unfortunate that our region has turn into the hub for Nigeria’s security agencies due to the recent attacks on oil facilities in the region.

File: Militants

“We humbly sue for a ceasefire, as development can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace, even as we engage on addressing the issues to bring lasting peace to our land. I believe our youths are panacea to peace, when issues are properly addressed for the overall development of the region.”

Saying his election was a call to galvanize and serve the Niger Delta youths, he noted, “We shall collaborate with relevant authorities on how the decaying infrastructure in the region can be improved upon.

“I call on the Ministry Works and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to immediately resume work on the East West Road and other abandoned road projects in the region, because the degradation caused by activities of oil exploration in the region is quite unimaginable. We shall work out modalities with other relevant bodies to engage

Government and multinational companies operating in the region for proper clean up of our land, as the UN had recommended on the Ogoni clean-up project. This will in turn revive our agricultural sector.”