As part of the efforts to douse tension in the country, the Minister of State Foreign Affairs Ambassador Zubairu Dada yesterday met with critical stakeholders in Niger state .
The meeting, he said was aimed at promoting peace, security and corporate existence of Nigeria as one indivisible entity, Dada said.
The meeting brought together Traditional rulers, Religious Leaders, Legislators, Politicians as well as Youth and Women groups.
Ambassador Dada described the meeting as timely considering the wide-spread ENDSARS protests across the country said it would go a long way in addressing some of the challenges that made the youth to take to the streets.
The minister said although the initiators of the ENDSARS protest have genuine intention, the protest was however hijjacked by Hoodlums who seized the opportunity to steal and destroyed both public and private properties.
The Minister while thanking Niger State Youth for not using the protests to cause havoc in the State maintained that the Federal government is fully aware of their challenges and is totally committed to addressing them.
He therefore promised to take all their grievances to Mr President and other appropriate channels for urgent attention.
Ambassador Dada said the Federal Government has shown commitment to the anti SARS protesters by immidiatly scrapping the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS and accepting to look into the five other demands made by the youth during the protests.
He stated that it is only fair that Nigerians give the government the benefit of doubt by allowing it to fulfil all it promised.
Ambassador Dada said recession and the recent outbreak of Covid 19 have made governance difficult in the country due to the dwindling revenue but that the present administration through determination was able to introduced various social intervation programs to reduce the impacts of these challenges on our youth.
The Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Muhammad Ketso said the State was in full support of the reform of the Nigerian Police Force but that the calls for the reform must be done in peace.
Alhaji Ketso who commended youths in the State for their maturity through out the period of the protests, however, stressed the need for the Federal Government to come to the aid of the state especially in the areas of roads, power and the immidiate take off of the Hydro Electric Power Development Commission HYPADEC.
Other speakers at the meeting, including the representatives of various ineterest groups were unanimous in their calls for speeding intervations on critical infrastructures across Niger State.
Other critical Stakeholders who attended the meeting includes, the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, Deputy Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Muhammad Ketso, Members of the National and State Assemblies, Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Muhammad Matane, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe Kagara and Speaker Niger State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bawa Wuse among others.
