President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Niger Delta stakeholders to join him in finding solutions to the nation’s problems or relocate to another country of their choice. This was even as the stakeholders presented him with 16-point demand if peace should be returned to the region.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, quoted Buhari as saying when he met with the elders and stakeholders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja: “we are determined to make life comfortable and affordable to all Nigerians. If anybody has a country to go to, let him go; we will stay here and salvage our country.”

The President told them that they have more to do than anyone else to bring peace to the region, given the influence they have on militant groups.

He expressed the determination of his administration to stay focused on its key campaign promises of securing the country, fighting corruption and creating jobs through the improvement of the economy.

He said that peace, security, investment and prosperity are linked together, adding that “if we give peace a chance, investors will come here to invest.  Nobody will invest in an insecure environment.”

President Buhari said that the problems his administration found on the ground were many, as illustrated in collapse of oil prices, inability of 27 of the 36 states to pay salaries, absence of savings to fall back and having to deal with elite who didn’t seem to care.

All these, he said, made his government to conclude that, “life as usual is no longer affordable.”

In welcoming the 16-point request presented for negotiation by the Niger Delta leaders, Buhari said he was still expecting reports from officials he had instructed to review the implementation of the Amnesty programme to determine where government fell short so that amends can be made.

The President said that the service chiefs were putting together their own assessment of the militancy situation, saying “when I have these reports, including this one that was just presented, we will revisit the situation in the region to ensure that we succeed this time.”

The President, who delivered his report card on the war against corruption and the efforts to secure the country, repeated his call to the Niger Delta leaders to join the administration in bringing peace to the troubled region.

The stakeholders, led by the nation’s former information minister, Chief Edwin Clerk, had earlier presented 16-point demand to the President.

Some Of Their Demands are:

1. Pull army out of the region
2. Order oil firms to move headquarters there
3. Oil firms to employ more youths
4. More funds for the development
5. More funds for the amnesty plan for ex fighters
6. Empower its people through training
7. Adequate investment in infrastructure
8. Clean up of oil spills

One of the elders, King Diete-Spiff said: “The list also includes the withdrawal of the military in oil producing communities in the region.

“We don’t want the communities militarized.”

They also want firms to move headquarters to the region so unemployed youths – who often work for militants – could get more jobs. Foreign firms active in Nigeria are often based in the commercial capital Lagos.

The Niger Delta leaders also asked for more funds for the development and an amnesty plan for ex fighters which Buhari had planned to cut, which has upset the militants.

President Buhari had in May sent in army reinforcements to hunt down militants, a move that stoked anger, triggering more attacks on oil installations in the region, with a demand for more share of the oil revenue.

The meeting became necessary, after months of attacks on oil facilities, brought down crude oil output and dipped the nation’s revenue.

On his part the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, expressed joy that leaders in the region had come to put the demands forward, said that crude oil production in Nigeria had appreciated to 2.1 million barrels per day following the peace that was gradually returning to the region.

He has a responsibility to ensure that Nigeria meets its quota in the oil market and he observed that relative peace was necessary to achieve it.

The Niger Delta region has been described as the goose that lays the golden eggs.

But years of neglect have led to degradation of the region and subsequent administrations in Nigeria have done nothing about it.

Youths in the region have come in various colours of agitation, blowing up the pipelines, adding to the degradation of the region

But President Buhari’s administration may bring a turnaround to the region, if the agreement reached at the two-hour meeting of Tuesday would be implemented.

Also at the meeting were the Vice President, state governors, ministers, service chiefs and other well-meaning citizens from the Niger Delta.

Talks at the meeting also focused on how to end the constant destruction of facilities in the region.

Over six militant groups have sprang up in the Niger Delta region, the latest being the Niger Delta Avengers.

Reports from some of the groups indicate that they may not be part of the meeting called by the Federal Government, raising doubt as to full representation of all agitating splinter groups.

This is just one in the series of meetings the government has designed to bring a lasting peace to the Niger Delta region.

With the meeting and demands presented to the government, it is hoped that hostility in the region in form of attacks on oil installations would cease

Among those who attended the meeting from the Niger Delta were Obong Victor Attah, Timi Alaibe, Diette Spiff, Ledu Mitee, Florence Ita-Giwa, Tony Uranta, Nkoyo Toyo, Senator Ewa Henshaw, Seminatri Bozimo and Roland Owei. [myad]

No fewer than 240 members of Boko Haram have surrendered their arms and other war weapons to military in many parts of Borno state.

The Chief Military Public Informations Officer, Colonel Muhammad Dole, who made this announcement in a statement today, Monday, said that the surrender by the Boko Haram insurgents followed firepower of the Multinational Joint Task Force ground troops and joint air operation during the Operation GAMA AIKI.

Such firepower and intensive fighting spirit of the troops, he said, forced a massive defection of remnants of the Boko Haram Terrorists.
“Sustained offensive operations and blockage of logistics supply routes made the terrorists’ locations untenable; as a result, BHT and their families abandoned their locations and surrendered with their arms to the nearest locations of the ground forces in the operation areas.
“The recent wave of mass defection took place in Sector 2 Area of Responsibility Bagasola in Chad. A total of Two Hundred and Forty (240) BHT surrendered some of them with arms and ammunition. They are being profiled and camped in Bagasola. During his operational visit to Sector 2 AOR, the Commander MNJTF, Major General Lamidi Adeosun addressed the ex -BHT and their families.
“The Commander commended the leaders of the ex- BHT for their courage and taking the right decision to abandoned terrorism and insurgency for normal life. He assured them of safety and good care as long as they remain in the camps. He also urged them to encourage their colleagues in the bush to stop fighting and join them in the camps.
“This peaceful disarming and profiling of the ex-BHT by the MNJTF
forces, clearly demonstrated extent of professionalism and adherence to International Humanitarian Laws and Laws of Armed Conflict in combat operations” he added. The Commander MNJTF donated token cash for purchase of 2 cows and 10 bags of assorted food stuff for each of the 2 groups for the welfare and up keep of the ex-BHT and their families.
“This brings to the total number of surrendered BHT to MNJTF troops in sector 2 to Four Hundred and Six Four.”
“While addressing a team of International Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in the camps, the Commander praised their commitment and sacrifice in discharging their humanitarian duties. He implored them to mobilise more resources and manpower, as more BHT are expected to defect and join their colleagues in the camps.
“The ex-BHT re expected to receive trainings in different skills and small businesses as scheduled by government agencies and NGOs.”
Meanwhile, the Commander MNJTF has made presentation of cash to representatives of officers and soldiers who were killed in Action (KIA) and Wounded in Action (WIA) during Operation GAMA AIKI. As part of encouragement and alleviation of suffering to the victims’ families and wounded personnel, the Headquarters, MNJTF made provisions of One Million CFA (1,000,000.00 cfa) only for each family of KIA and Five Hundred Thousand CFA (500,000.00 cfa) only for each WIA in the battle field.
During the presentations in sectors 2 Bagasola (Chad) and sector 4 Diffa (Niger), General Adeosun prayed for the souls of the departed colleagues for the supreme sacrifice they made in the service to humanity and praised the courage and bravery displayed by the WIA. He equally consoled the families of the KIA and prayed for quick recuperation of the WIA. In sector 2 Bagasola, Commander was accompanied during the visit to ex-BHT camps by the Coordinator/Chief of Staff of the Chadian Ground Forces and Red Barrettes, Major General Ismael Hour, Deputy Commander, MNJTF, Brigadier General Musa Muhammad Djour and Senior Prefect of Bagasola. [myad]

The Arch Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has asked former Nigerian Ministers; Femi Fani-Kayode, Musiliu Obanikoro and a former Presidential spokesperson, Dr. Reuben Abati to regard their current travail in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) as divine..
Bishop Kukah, who visited the former Nigerian top government functionaries in the EFCC detention facilities in Abuja, the nation’s federal capital, advised them not to be weighed down by their detention, saying that he was even happy that they are being detained in decent and clean environment.

Bishop Kukah, who prayed for the inmates before his departure, said: “I discussed with some detained suspects like Femi Fani-Kayode, Musiliu Obanikoro and Reuben Abati and I am quite pleased they are looking cheerful.
“I was also happy with the humility of the acting Chairman who took me round and the way he interacted with the detainees. This is what is important for our country so that nobody takes these kinds of things personal. I am happy I came.
“We are all staff of EFCC to the extent that we want a better country and we are doing what needs to be done.
“We’ll continue praying that God guides you, keeps you safe and ensure that we build a country that we all will be proud of.
“This country has suffered so much, but we hope and pray that we can bring the suffering and trauma to an end as we collectively fight corruption.”

The priest, who was conducted round the facilities by the acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu, expressed delight that the detainees appeared in high spirits despite the discomfort of temporary restriction, describing the facilities as “clean and orderly.”
Speaking, Ibrahim Magu assured the inmates that their incarceration was not personal.
“It is not personal. This is all about Nigeria and making it better. And I think there is a consensus around this.” [myad]
 

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock at the recently released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report which alleged sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls in the Internally Displaced Persons in their camps.

A statement by senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said that Buhari insisted that the welfare of these most vulnerable Nigerian citizens would remain a priority of his government.

“Nigerians and the international community can rest assured that the allegations raised in the HRW are not being taken lightly.”

President Buhari asked the Inspector General of Police and the state governors of the affected states to immediately commence investigations into the issue.

“Their findings will determine the next course of action for the government and define an appropriate response.

“While the Nigerian military continues to work hard so that these unfortunate victims of Boko Haram terrorism can soon return safely to their homes, the government will do its best to ensure their protection and welfare in the temporary IDP camps.” [myad]