The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Bayelsa, on Friday, embarked on a campaign, in collaboration with stakeholders, against insecurity and other challenges threatening the country’s unity.

The state director of the agency, Grace Olobio, made this known during a one-day roundtable conference held at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Federal Secretariat complex in Yenagoa.

The conference had the theme “Pathway to National Cohesion, Development and Unity”.

Ms Olobio, represented by the Deputy Director, Programmes, Ndidiamaka Mumeya-Francis, cited insurgency, banditry, extremism, youth restiveness, herder-farmer conflicts, militancy, kidnapping, and pipeline vandalism as major challenges confronting the country.

She stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to effectively address and tackle the menace.

Ms Olobio advised residents of the state to be vigilant always and report criminality and infractions of the law to security agencies.

She said the pathway to national development requires everyone to join the campaign to protect the country’s wealth from criminal syndicates.

The director of a non-governmental organisation called Peace Building, Conflict Resolution Trainers Network, Dotimi Ogbofa, spoke on the negative impacts of oil production and spillage on various communities.

Mr Ogboga identified greed on the part of some traditional leaders for the unemployment and underdevelopment bedevilling most oil-rich communities.

In separate goodwill messages, the state coordinator, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Stalin Nwankwala, the representative of the National Council for Women Society, Nyanayo Maggi, and that of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, A. Oguntuase, commended NOA for its efforts.

They pledged to collaborate with the agency to ensure that the campaign reached people living in rural communities.

They said the programme would be replicated in eight local government areas of the state.

(NAN)