Nigeria’s Mono Economy: Our Existence As A People Still Under Threat – Otuaro

• As Okowa/Otuaro Bag Awards At Gbaramatu Voice 5th Anniversary
• Tasks IYC, N’Delta Stakeholders On Peace Building

Deputy Governor of Delta State, Deacon Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, has expressed concerns that decades after Nigeria Independence, the country’s effort to diversify its economy have yielded little or no fruit.

Otuaro spoke, Wednesday, at Presidential Hotel, Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, venue of the 5th Anniversary/Award Dinner of Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper where he bagged “Niger Delta Deputy Governor of the Year” award for his sterling leadership style.

The deputy governor, at the event also received on behalf of Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, award for “human capital development and people-oriented projects”.

The event enjoyed support and participation of Rivers, Bayelsa state governments and Niger Delta regional stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, Otuaro said, “laudable efforts by national and sub-national governments at diversifying Nigeria’s oil-based mono product economy towards Agriculture, Science and Technology, Solid Minerals development and others, have been insignificant.

“Consequentially, Nigeria still remains a mono economy decades after self rule. The implication is that whatever threatens this mono economy goes to threaten our existence as a people”, the deputy governor further said, in a statement made available by Bulou Kosin, his Senior Special Assistant on Press and Communication. 

He, however, thanked Mr. Jacob Abai, Publisher of Gbaramatu Voice and his management team/staff for the awards/anniversary event themed “Peace, Security and Sustainable Development”.

Underlining the imperative of peace for sustainable development,  Otuaro said: “I want to enjoin all of us, including the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Deacon Peter Igbifa here present and all other institutions, well meaning Deltans, Niger Deltans to  join forces and cooperatively build the phenomenon of peace.

“I think very strongly that the justice that we seek in our socio-economic and political space cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of chaos. They say that justice need amount of peace to be effective”, Otuaro opined. 

Tasking fellow awardees to keep the flag flying, Otuaro, at the event which held on the eve of Nigeria’s 60th anniversary celebrations, said the “Niger Delta is a region that cannot be undermined”, just as he enthused that “despite challenges, we can with steadfastness build for ourselves a future that we deserve”.