BEVERLY HILLS, June 07, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government and Niger Delta states have started developing a common and united strategy to deal with the recent resurgent militant attacks on the nation’s oil installations.
This was discussed at a meeting held on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, summoned on the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari, and presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, with governors from Niger Delta states, three ministers and military service chiefs.
At the end of the meeting, held behind closed doors and lasted over two hours, it was made known that the federal government is proceeding on a collaborative strategy with the governments, communities in the Niger Delta region and other relevant stakeholders towards tackling the situation holistically.
Disclosing this at the end of the meeting, Delta State Ifeanyi Okowa who briefed State House Correspondents said the meeting identified the need for synergy between the federal and the state governments as a very important step going forward.
“One thing that we have identified is the synergy between the federal government and states is very important and this meeting has actually revealed a lot of issues and we believe that the collaboration between the Federal Government and States would help us to tackle the issues in the Niger Delta,” Okowa said.
“We have taken a lot of decisions which we think will help us to mitigate what is going on currently in the states particularly in Delta and Bayelsa.
“We are going to find a solution very soon,” he declared revealing that the amnesty programme in the region was still on-going.
He added that it was decided that military presence in the region should be de-escalated, though it was agreed that the forces should be kept to provide security and presence while government begins immediate engagement process with the communities in the affected areas.
Those at the meeting were Governors from the Niger Delta states which include Governors of Edo, Ondo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia, and the Deputy Governor of Cross River.
Also present were the Minister of Defense, Rtd. Major General Mohammed Dan Ali; Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani; and, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.
Military service chiefs were also in attendance led by the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin and all the Service Chiefs who briefed the meeting on the security situation in the region.
Story by David Oputah
