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Give peace a chance, Presidency begs militants

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Militants give new conditions for peace in Niger Delta

The Presidency has called on Niger Delta militants to give peace a chance in the region in the face of growing economic hardship in the country.

The presidency made the call on Wednesday in a radio interview granted by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, lamenting that despite genuine efforts by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to dialogue with the militants and bring about permanent solution to the problems of the region, militants have continued to attack oil installations.

It will be recalled that Niger Delta militants resumed attacks on oil installations in the oil rich region soon after a meeting President Buhari had with a delegation of leaders and elders from the region under the leadership of Chief Edwin Clark.

The militants, especially the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, and the Greenland Justice Mandate, are aggrieved that their demands were not adequately captured in the list of demands presented to the president by the Edwin Clark committee.

Read also: Ogun man arrested after slaughtering daughter for rituals

Appealing to the militants, Garba said: “We must keep national interest above all else and give priority to eschewing violence and destruction,” he urged.

The Presidential aide said it was regrettable that despite the fact that government has demostrated good faith in the process of finding solutions to the Niger Delta issue, militant groups in the area have failed to reciprocate government’s gesture.

Garba noted that the destruction of oil installations has continued to disrupt the plans of government for economic recovery, causing enormous hardships on innocent Nigerians on account of declining oil production output and massive losses of revenues.

This, Garba said has affected governments at all levels in meeting their obligations, including the inability to pay salaries.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews….

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