Militancy: Osinbajo Meets Niger Delta Govs, Service Chiefs

Despite the Federal Government’s decision to de-escalate (reduce) military operations in the Niger Delta communities, military personnel will still remain on the region’s waterways.

This was one of the decisions reached at a meeting Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had with the nation’s service chiefs and governors of oil-producing states on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting was called to discuss the renewed attacks and destruction of oil facilities by militants in the Niger Delta, which had crippled crude oil production and power supply.

Governors, who attended the meeting, are Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); and Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo).

Cross River State was represented by the deputy governor while the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu; the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usoro Uguru; and the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, also attended.

At the end of the meeting, Okowa addressed State House correspondents.

The governor said while the military would reduce its presence in communities, the waterways would be properly manned.

He said the process of consultation with the people of the area would start immediately.

“We have also agreed that there is a need to distil military operations directly in communities, but the military needs to actually remain on our waterways to ensure that we adequately man the waterways itself, while we engage the communities and that engagement process is starting any moment from now,” he said.

Describing the meeting as a fruitful one, Okowa said the forum identified synergy between the Federal Government and the state governments as very important.

He stated that while the meeting raised a lot of issues, it was resolved that the collaboration would help to tackle the issues in the Niger Delta.

The governor added that having been briefed by the service chiefs as well as contributions of the governors and Kachikwu, decisions that would mitigate the situation in the areas, particularly Bayelsa and Delta states, were taken.

Okowa, who believed that a lasting solution would be found, said the Presidential Amnesty Programme had not been stopped.

“I think the process is still ongoing, we have a Special Adviser in charge of Amnesty and he is doing very well.

“I am aware that he did come to talk with some of the communities and along with the advocacy team that was set up in Delta State. He did brief us today and I believe it is going to be maintained,” he said.

Oshiomhole later told reporters that despite the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers, Nigeria was not at war.

“Nigeria is not at war and we cannot be at war with ourselves. If we have conflicts, we will talk through those conflicts. There are laws that have to be enforced.

“I think that in all of these, the whole idea is to find peace that is functional, that creates environment for very decent Nigerians to live their lives,” he said.

The governor said all of them at the meeting agreed that they should work together to refocus on development, economic, military and community issues.

He also said the amnesty programme was still ongoing.

He said, “I believe the government recognises that the amnesty programme has to be sustained but also we can improve on it because we have trained people.

“People have been sent for training and they have come back and they should be able to apply those skills.”