SAN FRANCISCO, June 07, (THEWILL) – Following the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta region with the Niger Delta Avengers vowing to bring Nigeria’s oil production to “zero” point, the Federal Government says it has adopted engagement and security as two strategies with which to halt attacks on oil installations in that part of the country.
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo disclosed this on Monday at the State House during a meeting with a delegation of the European Union led by the EU Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr. Michel Arrion, explaining that the federal government was beefing up security in the region, aside reaching out to the people of the Niger Delta.
Describing the attacks on oil facilities as an act of economic sabotage, Osinbajo stated that “government is working round the clock to minimize the losses arising from the attacks.”
“We are talking, we are ensuring that we minimize losses and we are stepping up security. We are also engaging the international oil companies, IOCs, to see what options exists,” he said.
The Vice President maintained that the focus of the Buhari presidency “is to ensure that the man on the street in the Niger Delta receives the benefit from all that is available there,” even as he called on leaders in the region to be accountable to the people.
Further on economic issues, he restated government’s commitment to driving its diversification policy and encouraging investors from European countries to take advantage of the situation especially in the agro-allied processing industry.
Osinbajo reiterated the determination of the administration to ensuring that Nigeria’s ranking in the World Bank ease of doing business survey goes up by at least 20 steps.
To this end, he said the President had approved the composition of a Presidential Commission on the matter to be chaired by himself, the VP, and the Industry, Trade and Investment Minister, Okey Enelamah, as Vice Chairman.
“In the next few months, we should be seeing some changes,” he added.
The Vice President, while commenting on the failure of the government to disclose names of those who returned loots, explained that releasing the names of persons from whom the Federal Government recovered looted funds and assets may jeopardize ongoing investigations.
“We have released the list of recovered loot, we know people are asking for the names, but releasing the names may jeopardize ongoing investigations,” he stated.
