Buhari agrees to scale back military presence in the Niger Delta and enter into dialogue

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has succumbed to local and international pressure and agreed to scale back the military presence in the Niger Delta and resort to dialogue in a bid to find a diplomatic solution to the problems afflicting the region.

 

Over recent weeks, militancy has returned to the Niger Delta, with a new group called Nigeria Delta Avengers (NDA), blowing up pipelines. In response, the federal government has flooded the area with troops but this has only worsened the situation as another group called the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) threatening to launch surface-to-air missiles to shoot down planes across Nigeria.

 

With it obvious that the military solution is not working, President Buhari has agreed to resort to dialogue and has subsequently constituted a high powered committee to begin an intensive dialogue. Recent attacks by the NDA have reduced Nigeria’s oil production from 2.2m barrels per day to 1.6m barrels. 

 

Minister of state for petroleum resources Ibe Kachikwu, said that the dialogue is part of a plan to address the security challenges in the oil industry.  Mr Kachikwu, said the dialogue team which would be led by the national security adviser retired Major General Babagana Monguno and will include service chiefs and the minister for Niger Delta affairs.

 

He added that efforts were being made to create an integrated platform that involves representatives of the various communities in the region who would also engage the militants. Furthermore, the minister revealed that the intensity of military presence in the area would be reduced for a week or two for the dialogue to take place.

Mr Kachikwu added: “My first appeal will be to my brothers who are engaged in these acts of protest to sheath their swords and daggers and get back to the table so that we can have conversation as Nigerians. The president is very interested and has mandated that we should use every available opportunity to dialogue this issue and find a quick closure of this matter as this government is very committed to a long term solution to the issues that have bothered this geographical space for quite a while."

 

Yesterday, vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo said that the government was engaging leaders and people of the Niger Delta on the spate of attacks on oil installations in the area. According to him, besides reaching out to people in the area, the government was also beefing up security.

Professor Osinbajo said the government was working to minimise the losses arising from the attacks. He added that the focus of the Buhari presidency was to ensure that the man on the street in the Niger Delta receives the benefits from all that is available there.