President Muhammadu Buhari, Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, yesterday affirmed that peace is very vital for a progressive country to be achieved.
They spoke at the third coronation anniversary celebration of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli.
The event took place at the Olu Palace, in Warri, Delta State.
President Buhari, who represented at the occasion by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, stated that with peace, development would take place, noting that Warri contributes a lot to the Nigerian project.
He listed the dredging of the Warri Port, reactivation of Warri refinery among others as part of the programmes of the federal government in the area.
Okowa, in his speech at the occasion, commended traditional rulers for building bridge of unity, noting that when different kingdoms are peaceful, the country would be peaceful.
The governor, who congratulated the Olu on the anniversary, stated that “after your coronation, you went to visit several traditional rulers in the state and the country, and this has helped to create peace; we are happy for that gesture because with peace, development will take place.
“We have promised to tell Deltans the truth; we will constantly fund the trans-Warri/Ode-Itesekiri road project because it is in the interest of the state; we are committed to doing what we ought to do.”
He listed some of the projects executed by his administration in Warri kingdom, disclosing that his administration was committed to executing drainage project in Warri which
would gulp more than N3 billion.
The governor said his administration would promise to execute only projects it is capable of executing, asserting: “We will promise only those things we can do because it is honourable for us to do so.”
The Sultan of Sokoto, in his speech, stated that “If we want to have a good country, we should continue to reach out, no matter our religion or cultural belief; we believe in the unity of this country.
“You cannot love God if you don’t love your neighbour. We want peace because, without peace, we cannot develop.”
The monarch, in an address read by Chief Brown Mene, said: “We want to put it on record that our amiable state Governor, Okowa, has been doing a lot in the Warri axis since his election nearly four years ago; as we speak, work is going on earnestly on the Ubeji-Ifie road, which is one of the most important main arteries feeding the Warri refinery and three other major crude oil tank farms within the kingdom.”
