Tony Iwuoma
Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has charged the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to continue to promote national peace, stability and inclusiveness for the overall development of the country.
Governor Dickson stated this, on Tuesday, when he received the executive and members of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI) led by former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, at Government House, Yenagoa, the state capital.
Governor Dickson’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that it was imperative to proffer solutions to the problems that Nigeria is currently grappling with.
He also expressed confidence that if all Nigerians work collectively with sincerity of purpose, a cohesive, stable and peaceful Nigeria can be achieved.
His words, “We need to find solutions to the challenges that our nation currently faces; the challenge of building a unified national vision and agenda.
“The challenge of promoting stability, peace and inclusiveness so we can all build a Nigeria for all. That Nigeria must be built by all of us and we can do it.”
The governor applauded the NIPSS and its alumni body for putting up a resource base for their strategic efforts at peace and nation building.
He called on the federal, state and local authorities to tap into the contributions of the institute.
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“Let me convey the appreciation of the state to the institute for the wonderful contributions that it continues to make in the country but more specifically in building human capacity for our people.
“We have had some alumni of this institute becoming Heads of Service of this state, about nine of them so far. I have not missed any opportunity to identify prospective Heads of Service to attend the national institute.
“The institute is one of the most important public institutions in this country. This is not only for networking, which is also another important dimension.
“But you have to know about your country, be in a position to build bridges, fostering understanding, promoting unity and building peace, stability and development as well as promoting prosperity in our lands,’’ he said.
In his remarks, AANI President, Mohammed Abubakar, commended Governor Dickson’s developmental strides, particularly in the areas of infrastructure and security.
Abubakar, who also commended the governor for identifying men and women of proven integrity and capacity, said it was the responsibility of the institute to nurture and build their capacity towards adding value to society.
‘‘You have done so much for this state and I was happy when I saw in the programme that we were going to look at some projects that you have done.
“I know that it will give us an opportunity to assess what you have done and we will compare and contrast with what you met on ground and what you are going to leave behind,” he said.
