President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration would rebuild Nigeria, including the Niger Delta region.
According to a press statement issued on Thursday, June 30, 2016 by presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, President Buhari solicits patience and understanding from the citizenry in order to achieve this.
Receiving a delegation of Niger Delta Dialogue and Contact Group, led by His Royal Highness, King Alfred Diette-Spiff, the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, Bayelsa state, at the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, President Buhari pledged that under his watch Nigeria will witness judicious utilization of resources.
“We intend to rebuild this country; so that our children and grand-children will have a good place they can call their own. A lot of damage has been done, so I want you to tell the people to be patient,” Buhari told the leaders.
“When you get together with other leaders, please pacify the people. We will utilize the resources of Nigeria with integrity and rebuild the country.”
President Buhari said that he is studying the gazette on the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme by the Umaru Yar’Adua administration with a view to determining what had been fulfilled, promising that whatever is left would equally be addressed.
“I want to get as much intelligence as possible on the situation in the Niger Delta. I have encouraged law enforcement agencies to contact leaders like you in order to have enough information to deal with the issues once and for all,” Buhari said.
He sympathized with investors who borrowed lots of money to invest in the Niger Delta region and have not recouped their investments due to insecurity.
He used the occasion of his audience with the group to reiterate his appeal to those who perpetrate violence to embrace peace and give government a chance.
The leader of the group, King Alfred Diette-Spiff, said the group was made of peace builders, dedicated to peace and stability in the region.
Militants in the Niger Delta region especially the Niger Delta Avengers have been blowing up pipelines in the region and has vowed to continue with this destruction until zero oil is produced in the region.
Following the re-occurring oil pipeline vandalism, Nigeria’s daily oil production has reduced to 680,000 barrels per day.
According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, with the high level of vandalism by the Nigerian Delta Avengers, the infrastructure in the oil sector will not get back to work until after about 15 to 20 years.
