The Nigerian Government has ordered the withdrawal of the military from communities in the Niger Delta region, but maintains operations on the waterways as the government dialogue with the militants.
This was a decision reached during a meeting between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors from the Niger Delta region, service chief and some ministers to discuss the renewed militancy in the region.
The government’s decision is coming on the heels of threats by the newly emerged militant group, Niger Delta Avengers to blow up government owned infrastructure across the country built with money from oil. The group has in recent times bombed oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region causing the country’s oil production to the lowest in three decades.
The minister of state for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, had Monday announced that the President had directed a two weeks military ceasefire in the Niger Delta region, to enable the government dialogue with the militants.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting with the Vice President, Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa said “We have also agreed that there is 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”.
Okowa said during the meeting they received briefings on the current state of things and agreed that a synergy, especially in the form of intelligence sharing, between the Federal Government and the States will help to tackle some of the issues involved.
“We have taken a lot of decisions which will help us mitigate what is going on currently in the states particularly Bayelsa and Delta.
“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” he said adding that the implementation of the outcome of the meeting, especially as it relates to pulling out the military from the communities commences immediately.
Others at the meeting include the Governors of Edo, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River (deputy), Ondo and Rivers, all service chiefs, ministers of Niger Delta, Petroleum (state) and Defence.
Edo state governor, Adams Oshimole who also spoke with newsmen noted that Nigeria was not at war as the government was ready to address the ongoing conflict.“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 an environment for very decent Nigerians to live their lives” he said.
