The Government of the United States of America says it would support the Rivers State Govern-ment’s efforts at promoting peaceful environment in the state.
The United States Amba-ssador to Nigeria , Ms Robin Peace Sanders, gave this assurance yesterday when she paid a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi .
Ms Sanders said the United States Government was also prepared to do its best to encourage peace, education and the general development of the Niger Delta region.
The Envoy said her visit, which is the second since assumption of duties in 2008, was to assess United States Government’s funded projects in the state, especially in education and other developmental programmes.
Principally, she said ìthe Peace Clubs sponsored by the US Government are important and “I know the vision of the governor as well as other people of Niger Delta region is for a secured and peaceful environment and we are trying to do our part through programmes and projects like peace clubs that are funded by the United States Governmentî.”
Ms Sanders disclosed that the visit has afforded her the opportunity to interact with about 620 students of Federal Government Girls Secon-dary School Abuloma, and expressed happiness over the commitment of the students to peace in the society.
ìI was impressed to see the young people, how they want to see Nigeria change, not only in terms of peaceful environment for the Niger Delta but what they want to do with their lives in futureî, the Ambassador said.
She noted that US Government is supportive of projects like Peace Clubs, camp projects and doing its best to encourage Peace, Education and the development of the Niger Delta region.
Responding, the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, said the inability of previous governments to implement laws was responsible for the level of criminality in the Niger Delta region.
The governor said he had held the view that what is happening in the Niger Delta area is economical in nature, considering the poverty rate among the people and the inability of past governments to develop legitimate economy that would encourage the youths.
Governor Amaechi explained that this abysmal failure on the part of government led to the pursuit of means of livelihood by some youths, who unfortunately took laws into their hands and developed an illegitimate economy on crime.
According to him, ìthis was the situation when we took over in 2007, when there use to be killings, high rate of kidnapping and raping of women in the stateî, but his determination to enforce the law led to the stoppage of bunkering activities, reduction in kidnapping and other criminal activities as the miscreants fled to the creeks.
He stated that his administration has taken pragmatic steps to check criminal activities in the state, which include the declaration of state of emergency in education sector, construction of model primary health centres as well as the construction of over 150 roads in the state.
Governor Amaechi latter conducted the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, round the model Primary School at Elekahia under construction where she commended the governor for his vision.