>
Security and peace in Delta State depends a lot on the cooperation of the youth in the state as well as as the support of the media, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Delta State on Security, Comrade Ezekiel Daniel has said.
Daniel, who said this on Wednesday when he visited the temporary secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) to seek the support of journalists, said he believes no government including its functionaries can succeed without the collaboration of the media.
The SSA disclosed that so far in his three weeks old appointment, he had visited some flashpoints in the state, including Onwian to hold meetings with them on the need to sustain the peace initiatives of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
He also said that he had visited Sapele Local Government Area to have on the spot assessment of the area now being largely infested by alleged Yahoo Plus criminals, revealing that at the meeting with some youth in the area, he called for vigilance and commitment to security and peace in Sapele and Delta State in general.
Thanking the NUJ for receiving him, Daniel, who has been an activist for 22 years, said that “realising that peace is the template for the desired progress and development, and upon which security and vigilance cannot be overlooked; based on this, we are deploying every legitimate means – advocacy, collaborative effort and others to bring about peace in our state.”
“To achieve this agenda of the governor towards a stronger Delta, we need the media to effectively deliver on our mandate. Thank you for opening your door to welcome us.”
In his remarks, the NUJ Chairman, Delta State Council, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu congratulated the SSA who he said has shown enough reason to succeed in his new assignment.
“For you to realise the importance and role of the media in your assignment means you know what to do already. You must try as much as possible to diligently deliver on mandate.”
“Again, you must endeavour to harness the capacity and potentials of the youths as critical in your agenda for a secure, violent free and peaceful Delta”, Ikeogwu counseled.