Apparently moved by the threats of Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, JNDLF, to bomb major government buildings in Abuja starting midnight today, the Federal Government, yesterday, called for an emergency security meeting, Vanguard reports.
The meeting, which appeared to be a strategic one, had in attendance the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; governors of oil producing states; service chiefs; Minister of Defence, Dan Ali; Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu; Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty Programme, Gen. Paul Boroh, among others. The meeting came on a day the main co-ordinator of attacks on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, oil and gas installations in Delta State was paraded by the Navy.
Governors in attendance at the meeting included Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).
Service chiefs at the meeting were Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, and Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas. Held at the conference room of the Acting President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the meeting which started at about 10a.m. ended at about 3p.m.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State said they took briefings of the situation in the Niger Delta by the security chiefs and Minister of State for Petroleum. He said the meeting particularly noted the unhealthy developments in Delta and Bayelsa states, saying a solution was underway. The governor, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, also revealed that there would be a stand-down of military action in the zone.
He said the outcome of the meeting, which extensively sought collaboration with the states, would be implemented immediately. His words: “We, governors of oil producing states, security chiefs and ministers who are concerned, met with the Vice-President and I believe we had a very fruitful meeting.
“One thing we identified, which is the synergy between the Federal Government and the states, which is very important, is that this meeting has raised a lot of issues and we believe that the collaboration will help us to tackle the issues in the Niger Delta.
“Of course, we were briefed by the service chiefs and the governors also have their own perspectives along with the Minister of State for Petroleum. “We have taken a lot of decisions which will help us mitigate what is going on currently in the states, particularly Bayelsa and Delta. We believe we are going to find a solution to it.”
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