The government has said that military deployment on the waterways in the Niger Delta will continue to man installations belonging to the Federal Government in the oil rich region, even though the presence will be de-escalated.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and state governors from the Niger Delta area, service chiefs and the Minister of State for the Niger Delta to try to find solution to problems in the region.
At the end of the meeting, which lasted more than four hours, it was made known that the federal government is working on a collaborative strategy with the governments, communities in the Niger Delta region and other relevant stakeholders towards tackling the situation holistically.
Briefing reporters at the end of the meeting held on Tuesday, Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, emphasised the need for the state governors to share intelligence with security chiefs.
Okowa said that several decisions, which will help to mitigate what, is going on in Delta and Bayelsa has been made.
He said 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.
Okowa confirmed that the amnesty program in the region is still ongoing. He said the assurance was given by the Presidential Adviser on the Amnesty Programme who also briefed the meeting.
“We have a Special Adviser in charge of Amnesty and he is doing a lot of work,” he said.
He also highlighted the need to remain proactive, believing that collaboration between the Federal and State governments would help to tackle the issues in the Niger Delta.
“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,” he added.
Issues about blowing up of pipelines and vandalism of oil installations by those who many have described as criminals topped talks.
They were said to have adequately been briefed by the service chiefs on the situation in the area.
Some of the decisions taken include a synergy between the Federal and State governments, a collaboration they hope would end the crisis in the region.
The latest attacks in the Niger Delta region by a group that calls itself ‘the Niger Delta Avengers’ raise question as to what has happened to the amnesty programme and what the youths in the region have done with it.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe kachikwu, had in a recent meeting appealed to the youths to sheath their swords while some of the governors in the region reminded them that investment could only thrive in a peaceful atmosphere.
Youths in the Niger Delta region may well sheath their swords and watch the Federal Government fulfill its commitment to finding a lasting solution to the problems facing the Niger Delta oil producing states.
Attendants at the meeting included 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. On the side of the federal government 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, among others.
