Minister of State for Defence, Ibe Kachikwu has said expressed disappointment at the continued damage of pipelines in Niger Delta despite efforts by the Federal Government to engage stakeholders in the region.
Kachikwu said this in a statement issued by Idang Alibi, Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
He expressed sadness “that despite months of intensive personal and collective efforts to engage all stakeholders in the region and despite the recent success in convening a meeting with His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to begin exploring the opportunities for deepening the dialogue, these attacks have continued.”
Kachikwu however reiterated that dialogue was the only solution to the unrest in the Niger Delta.
He apeealed to all stakeholders in the region to embrace peace, instead of engaviyin activities that will further impoverish the region.
Kachikwu further urged the stakeholders ”to join hands with the government to find a lasting solution to this problem. As distraught as he and most ministers from the Niger Delta region are with these unfortunate incidents, they shall not give up, but will continue to work under the mandate of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to see how to deepen the engagement and get a complete stakeholder buy-in to the solution programme of the President.”
