… Says Oil Sector Reforms Will Boost Accountability
President Muhammadu Buhari Monday in Abuja assured that rather than scrap the Amnesty Programme in the Niger Delta as being advocated in some quaters, his administration would build on the good aspects of the programme initiated by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to reduce violence in the volatile region.
President Buhari stated this on a day he also assured foreign investors that his administration would implement far-reaching reforms to boost accountability and transparency in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The President gave the assurance while speaking at a meeting with senior officials of Chevron led by the company’s President for Africa and Latin America, Mr. Ali Moshiri.
President Buhari, who declared that his administration was ready to effectively address the myriad of challenges in the sector, said: “We understand the situation in the industry and will do our best to address the challenges affecting exploration, production and distribution of oil products in the country.’’
The President added that his administration would also implement other measures to enhance security in the Niger Delta and optimise investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Moshiri had urged President Buhari to restore the confidence of international investors in the industry even as he identified improved security in the Niger Delta as key to increased investment in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.
Moshiri said that Chevron, which has 36.7 per cent interest in the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited, was keen to support
Nigeria’s gas sector and bring more electricity to Nigerian consumers.
