By Mustapha Adamu
The vice president, Yemi Obinbajo, will lead a government delegation to parley with leaders of oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region.
On January 7, the most dangerous militant group in the South South, the Niger Delta Avengers, promised to re-launch attack on oil installations in a new onslaught tagged “Operations Walls of Jericho and Hurricane Joshua”.
The group had earlier called for a 90-day ceasefire, following meeting of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, with President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement posted January 6 on its website and signed by its spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo, warned local and foreign companies awarded the 2017/2018 crude oil term contracts by the Nigerian government that the contracts would fail.
The group said it resumed attacks because Nigerian government turned deaf ears to their plights, saying the government only act when it’s hit hard.
But the Presidency said on Saturday that Mr. Osinbajo would visit Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States to discuss the leaders of the region towards finding a lasting solution to the Niger Delta restiveness.
“In further demonstration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s readiness and determination to comprehensively address the Niger Delta situation, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, will be visiting a number of oil communities across some Niger Delta States starting on Monday, January 16, 2017, when he travels to Delta State.
“At a later date to be announced soon, the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo would also be visiting Bayelsa and Rivers States.
“At these visits, the Vice President will lead high-level delegations of the Federal Government that will interact with leaders and representatives of the oil-producing communities in continuation of ongoing outreach efforts of the Buhari administration towards a long lasting and permanent resolution of the Niger Delta crisis.
“The Buhari presidency is fully committed to having an effective dialogue and positive engagement that will end the crisis in the oil-producing areas, and believes that these visits would further boost the confidence necessary for the attainment of peace and prosperity in the areas and the Nigerian nation in general” a statement the spokesman of the vice president, Laolu Akande, said.
