ABUJA – Effect of bombing by recalcitrant Niger Delta Avengers has forced Federal Government and states in the region to a round table talk.
The closed door meeting which also involves Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and the service chiefs saw both sides agreeing to work together to ensure peace and end the bombings of oil and power installations in the region.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting in the Presidential Villa, Governors Adams Oshiomhole and Ifeanyi Okowa of Edo and Delta Dtatrs respectively, chorussed that the collaboration will also include intelligence sharing.
Stressing that the meeting was very fruitful, they explained that a lot of other decisions that would mitigate the crisis in the states particularly, Bayelsa and Delta, were also agreed upon.
One of the decisions was deployment of military operations in waterways around troubled communities.
According to Gov. Okowa “We governors of the oil producing states, security chiefs and ministers who are concerned met with the Vice President and I believe we had a very fruitful meeting.
One thing we identified which is the synergy between the Federal Government and the States which is very important and this meeting has raised a lot of issues and we believe that the collaboration will help us to tackle the issues in the Niger Delta.
Of course we were briefed by the service chiefs and the governors also have their own perspectives along with the minister of state petroleum.
We have taken a lot of decisions which will help us mitigate what is going on currently in the states particularly Bayelsa and Delta.
We believe we are going to find solution to it. One of such is that there is a need for us to share intelligence which is very important and for us to be proactive, working together with the various stakeholders in the states to achieve a better result going forward.
We have also agreed that there is a need to distill military operations directly in communities, but the military need 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”.
When asked to give a date the amnesty programme will be revisited as a way out of the crisis, the Governor said that the programme was never stopped.
“I think the process is still ongoing, we have a Special Adviser in charge of amnesty and it is doing very well.
I am aware that he did come in to talk with some of the communities and along with the advocacy team that was put up in Delta state.
He did brief us today and I believe it is going to be maintained”, he stressed.
On when implementation of the meeting’s outcomes will start, he asderted: “Right from today, there is a meeting right after this and we are going to be collaborating even as we return to our various states.”
On his part, Gov. Oshiomhole noted: “You have been briefed by my brother from Delta and whatever he told you that is the truth of it.
We agreed that we all have to work together to refocus on development issues, economic issues, military issues and community issues.
Whatever he has told you there, that is what we have agreed to do.
While stating that the amnesty programme has been on, he noted that a time lag could have resulted from the little transition of having a new leadership.
He acknowledged that there have been stories about non-payment concerning the programme and explained that the problems were being addressed while funds were being provided.
“I believe the government recognizes 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. I
If they don’t apply the skills they become skilled but then unemployed, then the problem persists.
We need multiple tools to deal with the issues. Fortunately for the people to be able to apply the skills that they acquired in the course of the amnesty training, they need an environment that is investment friendly because unless for example if you have skills in underwater welding, you need the oil companies to be doing business to recruit people like that to carry out those kinds of special skill.
If you have skill in all sorts of things without economic activity, you cannot deploy your skills. One thing leads to the other. In the first instance the man has no skill, the first challenge is to give him skill.
That is being done and when he has finished and acquired that skill the final challenge is to get him a place to work to earn money and to develop a lifestyle that is sustainable to add and contribute to the development of his community and the rest of our people they need to see the quality of life improving.
What Okowa said was the correct representation of what transpired at the meeting. 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 continued.
Other state governors at the meeting included Bayelsa, Rivers, Ondo and Abia.
Also at the meeting were the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru.
Meanwhile, the United States of America has thrown its weight behind Federal Government planned dialogue with the Niger Delta militant.
In a statement issued by its embassy in Abuja, the US encouraged all parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means.
“The U.S. Mission to Nigeria is monitoring reports of attacks and other incidents in the Niger Delta. We share the concerns of all Nigerians about these attacks.
Furthermore, the United States remains supportive of efforts, including the promotion of dialogue, to address grievances in the Niger Delta.
We encourage all parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means and emphasize that human rights of all Nigerians must be protected.
We continue to call on all Nigerians to persevere in efforts to achieve common goals: to end violence and curb the activities of criminal elements; to establish conditions and mechanisms for profound, positive, and lasting changes in the region; and to provide economic opportunity and needed services for residents of the Niger Delta”, the statement read.
