FG assures Niger Delta of job creation, security

The Nigerian Government has said it would do everything to bring about lasting peace and security in the nation’s oil-producing host communities and the entire Niger Delta region.

It also said that it was keen on attracting investments to the area and creating jobs for its teeming youths.

This was contained in a statement released this Sunday by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs, Mr. Samson Makoji.

He quoted the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and the NNPC Group Managing Director (GMD), Mallam Mele Kyari, to have made the promise during their stakeholders’ visit to host communities and facilities of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 25 in Kula Kingdom of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday.

Makoji said the visit was in furtherance of the peace deal brokered by the GMD NNPC, under the supervision of the minister concerning the disputed mining lease between NNPC’s Joint Venture partner, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Belema Oil, held in Abuja, a fortnight ago.

In their separate addresses at the occasion, the duo assured indigenes and traditional rulers in the communities that the federal government was keen on attracting investments to the area and to create jobs for the teeming youths.

Sylva told members of the host communities, “We need unity in our land today. We have fought to this point and the Federal Government has started looking our way. It is time for us to change strategy and ensure that we bring the benefits of investments to our various communities.

“If we don’t make our communities peaceful, investments cannot come. The investors are ready to come here, unfortunately in some cases there is no peace.”

Speaking during the visit, Kyari said the NNPC had the mandate of Mr President to work with various stakeholders towards bringing lasting peace to the oil-producing host communities and by extension the entire Niger Delta region.

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“Our immediate priority is the restoration of peace to the host communities and not just to restore production. This is because once peace comes, oil production (which is about 35,000 barrels per day here) will ultimately return.”

The GMD said following two years of dispute around OML 25 which led to the shutdown of the Belema Flow Station and loss of about 35,000 barrels of oil per day, NNPC had no option but to engage the communities towards ensuring lasting peace and restoring production.

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