Retain Pa Harold Dapa Biriye’s name on NDDC permanent building: Stakeholders in Niger Delta urges FG
By Peter Usman://
Stakeholders and opinion leaders of the Niger Delta Region, under the aegis of Niger Delta Democratic Alliance, NDDA has called on the Federal Government to immediately retain Pa Harold Dapa Biriye’s name on the NDDC permanent building.
The opinion leaders of the region therefore urged the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio to affect the return without further delay.
The group made the call after a critical brainstorming session of stakeholders and opinion leaders from the region, following the salient resolution of the Nigerian senate, through a motion moved by Senator Henry Seriake Dickson over the urgent need to return and retain Pa Harold Dapa Biriye’s name on the NDDC permanent building.
In a statement signed by the Chairman, Niger Delta Democratic Alliance, NDDA, Comrade Success Jack, the group upholds the resolution of the Senate via Senator Seriake Dickson’s motion, over naming the NDDC building after Pa Harold Dapa Biriye as it always has been, is a step in the right direction.
The statement read in part, “Harold Dapa Biriye in whose symbolic shadows of national cohesion, unity and development, intellectual and ideological positions, upon which the Niger Delta agitation for fairness, equity and justice in the national inclusion equation has been standing for decades, needs a bold national endorsement.
“That Harold Dapa Biriye’s regional leadership to national and global levels over the decades, his support and direction to the Obasanjo Government, in handling the Niger Delta question was the reason for naming the NDDC building after him.
“Consequently, Secretary to Government of the Federation and the Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs should reflect this change on the building immediately, to avoid evoking the wrong emotions from our people.
“That Harold Dapa Biriye’s stout patriotic posture which saw him leading the Niger Delta region pre and post independence, into alliances with other national leaders and regions, like Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello etc has not been given the proper recognition like his pairs and contemporaries.
“That owing to his very pivotal and critical contributions alongside others, to the independence struggle, the Niger Delta people should be seeing other National assets, facilities, Airports etc named after him as a way of immortalizing intellectual approach to agitation, engagements and crafting processes of national unity and development.
‘That the Federal Government misses an opportunity to raise the volume on matters with greater potentials of enshrining the culture of peace, unity and development as against violence and armed struggle, especially, at such a time in our nation that violence in different shades and form, threatens our very existence.
“A stitch in time, saves nine”
