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 Yar’Adua Administration.
Mr.
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.
“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,” President Buhari said.
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.
- Premium Times
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