In delivering the official opening address the Hon. Ameachi indicated that he had previously served as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly for a period of eight years. He had always offered his support to the activities and programmes of the CPA and attended several CPA conferences. The Governor emphasised the important role that legislators had to play in ensuring the well-being of their citizens. He indicated that, in his opinion, the current crisis in the Niger Delta could only be resolved by the enactment of the necessary legislation by the Federal Parliament of Nigeria. The Governor urged the Members of the Federal Parliament who were present to ensure that legislation was enacted that made provision for royalties to be paid to communities in areas where oil- mining was being carried out.