Niger Delta: President Buhari Orders 2-week Ceasefire To Create Room For Negotiations

The federal government has ordered a two week cease fire in the region to create room for dialogue with a view to restoring genuine peace in the region. Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, made the disclosure.

Kachikwu who was Speaking at the hand-over ceremony of Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas to the Federal Ministry of Education yesterday in Abuja said:

“The President is interested in dialogue and has mandated the military to halt actions for about two weeks to ensure a team that will be led by the NSA, dialogues with the militants to ensure peace in the region.
‘’The avenue is open for them, provided the militants are willing to embrace dialogue and allow truth to reign because we are going to involve key leaders from the region who have had previous experience in that area to play whatever role they can”.

Kachikwu stated that the Federal Government was not just committed to securing oil and gas installations but the lives and property of people in the region.

Kachikwu who lamented more oil companies in the Niger Delta have reviewed their operations, following continued bombing of their facilities in Delta and Bayelsa states said the team will have top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, service chiefs and ministers from the Niger Delta.