From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

AMID preparations by the Nigeria military to commence a strategic op­eration codenamed ‘Op­eration Crocodile Smiles’ to halt the bombing of oil facilities and threats to the territorial integrity of Nigeria by militants, Gov­ernor Seriake Dickson has again cautioned the Fed­eral Government against the militarisation of the Niger Delta.

Dickson had after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja last week advised the Federal Government to explore the dialogue option to resolve the Ni­ger Delta problem.

Indications emerged at the weekend that mili­tary clampdown was im­minent during the visit of the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Mansur Dan-Alli and the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen eral Abayomi Olonisakin.

Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Dan­iel Iworiso-Markson in a statement said Dickson noted that dialogue re­mained the best option to solve the problem.

The governor who made the observation in Warri, Delta State, during a meeting of Ijaw lead­ers and elders of thought to brainstorm on the way forward appaluded Ijaw leaders for championing the cause of the people.

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He urged them to work together for peaceful co-existence of the region and the country as a whole.

The statement said the meeting was attended by Ijaw leader and First Republic Minister of In­formation, Chief Edwin Clark; Deputy Governor of Delta State, Kingsley Otuaro; former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Sir Gabriel Toby and for­mer Minister of Aviation, Alabo Tonye Graham Douglas.

Others are former Exec­utive Director (Finance) in Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Pastor Power Aginighan; President of Ijaw National Congress (INC), Chief Boma Obuoforibo; former chairman, Bayelsa State Flood Committee, Chief Francis Doukpola; Ebena­naowei of Ogulagha King­dom, King Joseph Timiyan and Amakosu of Ogbe- Ijoh, Warri Kingdom, King Kopul Ermine.

Dickson was quoted as saying he was at the meet­ing “to lend support to the on-going discussions for the enthronement of peace, stability and devel­opment of the Niger Delta area.”

Ijaw leaders and elders, he said, had always pro­vided leadership and sup­port to the various state governments where the Ijaw people were domi­ciled towards strengthen­ing the bond of unity and protection of the collec­tive interests of the Ijaw nation.

Dickson reiterated his administration’s pre­paredness to contribute its quota to the wellbe­ing and development of the Ijaw nation as leader of the only homogeneous  state for the Ijaw people.