Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday resumed the peace talks with oil communities with a visit to Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital pledging rapid development oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking at the stakeholders meeting during the ongoing dialogue, Osinbajo noted that the oil industry was the dominant source of foreign exchange earnings and said it was high time the country added value to crude oil.

According to him, adding value to crude oil would bring enormous economic benefits to oil bearing communities.

Osinbajo assured that the federal government was committed to rapis development of oil communities in the Niger Delta region and urged stakeholders to support the peace efforts.

He noted that the oil communities were fundamental to the development plans of the federal governments and urged stakeholders to embrace peace for development to take place.

Speaking earlier, Gov Dickson of Bayelsa noted that dialogue and consultations remained the most effective solution to the Niger Delta crisis rather than military option.

He solicited the support of the Federal Government to tackle the development challenges facing the state as the difficult terrain makes the cost of providing infrastructure too exorbitant to the state government to cope with.

Mr Udens, Eradiri, President of Ijaw Youths Council, appealed to the Federal Government to legalise the operation of artisanal refineries to create jobs for the teeming youths and save the environment.

He observed that the artisanal refineries if legalised would be operated in an environmentally sustainable manner adding that job creation for the youths was a panacea to check militancy.

•Photo shows Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, flanked by the State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (L) and the Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM King Alfred Diete-Spiff during Osinbajo’s visit to Bayelsa State . . . yesterday.

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