National Orientation Agency has taken its sensitization campaign on Implementation of the Pathway to National Cohesion, Development and Unity to Utagba-Ogbe Community, Kwale in Ndokwa West local government area of Delta State.
Stakeholders at the unity campaign appealed to federal and state governments to intervene in the lingering insecurity and prolonged power outage bedeviling the community.
Among the stakeholders at the event included the Odu Osa One of Utagba-Ogbe Kingdom along with palace chiefs, women, youths and security personnel.
The stakeholders who thanked the renewed initiative of the National Orientation Agency, Delta State Directorate in sensitizing communities about government policies and programmes, lamented the neglect of Utagba-Ogbe in Kwale for years despites its abundant oil and gas deposit, which contributes immensely to the economic development of the country.
One of the stakeholders and Palace Secretary , High Chief Ben Igbe, said a lot needed to be done in addressing the myriad of challenges confronting the community, and urged the National Orientation Agency to up its sensitization campaign on government policies geared towards alleviating their sufferings .
Another resident of the community who participated in the unity campaign, Mr Otuogwu Clement attributed youth restiveness in the area to environmental factors which according to him, required urgent attention to ensure lasting peace..
Some other stakeholders described as unfortunate and sad a situation where many of their youths were being detained in police custody for embarking on a recent protest to draw government attention to over twenty years of power outage in Utagba-Ogbe.
On the issue of youths involvement in drug abuse, an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Offor Mathias hinted that the agency had been moving round to sensitize youths, especially students and others about the danger inherent in abusing drugs , taking illicit and prohibited hard substances.
In an address of welcome, Mrs Tracy Ikolomi, Delta State Director of the National Orientation Agency who delivered the message of Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the Director General of the agency , thanked the stakeholders at the unity campaign for expressing their grievances, and gave an assurance that their complaints would be brought to the attention of government for possible intervention.
Mrs Ikolomi said the unity campaign was aimed at ensuring greater unity and collaboration among Nigerians for the betterment of the country.
She stated further ” The National Orientation Agency recognizes the urgent need for a strategy to promote national cohesion, especially how all Nigerians can work together and be united as one, and ensure development across the country”.
Mrs Ikolomi revealed that NOA had proposed the strategy and implementation of the pathway to national cohesion, unity and development, which according to her, is aimed at addressing specific challenges faced by different zones, and states in the country.
The National Orientation Agency team led by the Delta State Director, Mrs Tracy Ikolomi had on arrival paid an advocacy visit to the Odu Osa One of Utagba-Ogbe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Isaac Obi at his palace where the revered royal father commended NOA for bringing the unity campaign to the community.
