President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, urged
militants in the Niger Delta to drop their
confrontational stance and work with his
government to review the Amnesty Programme
initiated by the Late ex-President Umaru
Yar’Adua Administration.
President Buhari assured oil companies operating
in the Niger Delta that the Federal Government is
taking all necessary actions to protect strategic
assets in the region from vandals and criminals.
Speaking at a meeting with the Global Director
(Upstream) of the Royal Dutch Shell Group,
Andrew Brown, President Buhari said that he had
directed the Chief of Naval Staff to reorganise
and strengthen the military Joint Task Force
(JTF) in the Niger Delta to deal effectively with
the resurgence of militancy and the sabotage of
oil installations.
The President told Mr. Brown that the operations
of the JTF were also being enhanced with
increased support and cooperation from the
United States and Europe in the areas of training,
intelligence, equipment and logistics.
He said: “We have to be very serious with the
situation in the Niger Delta because it threatens
the national economy. I assure you that
everything possible will be done to protect
personnel and oil assets in the region."
The president urged aggrieved persons, militants
and communities in the Niger Delta to drop their
confrontational stance and work with those who
have been charged by the Federal Government to
review the Amnesty Programme initiated by the
Yar’Adua Administration for the benefit of all
parties.
President Buhari praised the resilience and staying
power of Shell in Nigeria despite the operational
challenges of the environment .
He urged the company to do its best to end gas
flaring in the Niger Delta quickly and produce
more gas for electricity generation to support
manufacturing and job creation in the country.
Mr. Brown had appealed for an urgent solution to
rising crime and militancy in the Niger Delta.
The Shell Executive also dispelled speculations
that the company was pulling out of Nigeria.
He said that contrary to such speculations, Shell
was currently in discussions with the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on new
joint oil and gas projects.

source:- Vanguardngr.com

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