SAN FRANCISCO, June 25, (THEWILL) – President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday night pleaded with Niger Delta militants to have a change of heart in the name of God over their destruction of oil and gas installations in the region.
Noting that there were many factions of the Niger Delta militants, he begged friends and associates of the militants to reach out to them, reminding all concerned that Nigerians do not have any other country to call their own other than Nigeria.
The President spoke at the breaking-of-fast dinner with leaders and chieftains of his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he observed that the militants were armed with sophisticated weapons and that the economy was on its knees following the bombing of oil pipelines.
According to him, “I honestly don’t know how many factions of the militants there are in the Niger Delta compared to the north east where you have only the Boko Haram.
“The technology being deployed by the militants to destroy oil installations is high tech, the way they can go on high sea and international waters and target oil installations is a national problem. It is affecting development.
“No insurance company will want to insure installations that will end up being blown up and no banks will want to finance such installations.
“Those of you who have friends among the leadership or even the militants themselves should plead with them in the name of God Almighty to take it easy.
“We need to stabilise to create employment, we need to stabilise the economy, I agonise over these things. We are in a very difficult time, so we have to organise ourselves. Anybody that says he has any other country than Nigeria should go out and see.”
In an earlier remark, the national chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun expressed satisfaction with the actions of the government so far, saying that Nigeria needed a dogged leader like the president.
“Any meaningful development requires strong and determined leader. Things must change. Those things don’t come easily. Nigeria is clearly a difficult nation to govern.
“Corruption is fighting back and change does not come easily. The way we do things must change. Our prayer is for God to give you the courage, wisdom and strength to set the new standard for the country,” he said.
Party leaders who attended the event include: former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Naaba; the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Segun Oni; former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva; Tony Momoh and Senator Osita Ozinaso.
The dinner was also attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal and former Minister of Labour, Hassan Lawal.
About the Author
