Even as the Niger Delta Avengers continues with bombing of critical national oil facilities, the Federal Government said on Saturday night that it had reached agreement with ex-militants end the ongoing pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region.
Retired Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger-Delta Matters and Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, said this at the end of a meeting he convened attended by the ex- militants in Benin.
There were no indications that members of Niger Delta Avengers whose sabotage of oil facilities across Niger Delta in the past few weeks have resulted in lowest oil production by Nigeria in the past 12 years were part of the meeting.
The group had insisted that their minimum demand is control of the oil resources of the region.
Nevertheless, Boro told newsmen on Saturday night that the pipeline vandalism in the Niger-Delta was reducing the economic fortune of the country and inflicting pains on Nigerians.
He urged the agitators to dialogue with the relevant authorities over their grievances and shun destruction of oil installations.
He assured that plans were in the pipeline to provide the ex-militants with welfare and a housing scheme in addition to the existing programme and projects.
Boroh stressed the need to find lasting solutions to the current situation in the region.
“The common factor is security challenges we are facing in our areas, in our region that is affecting the economy of the country.
“Personally it makes me feel bad that we don’t know how to solve our problem.
“To you my comrades, it is our responsibility to make sure that insecurity in our environment is well sorted out. Please let us do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t occur again.”
Boroh, who was optimistic about the success of the meeting, said: “We have all resolved that we will put our heads and hands and all in all together to prevent the re-occurrence of this type of thing.”
He assured oil firms in the country that the Federal Government is dedicated to end the problems associated with bombing.
“Collectively we (Federal Government and ex-militants) have agreed to work as a team to prevent re-occurrence.
“We feel bad that it is happening, it is affecting our economy and it is affecting development and we are very concern about it.”
Some of the militants who were present affirmed to what the special adviser said and pledged to support the federal government to bring lasting peace to the Niger-Delta.
