N/Delta’ll Be Better Under Buhari, Says Minister

Adams Abonu in Lafia

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani Uguru, Saturday said that President Muhammadu Buhari administration is poised to creating better opportunities for the youths to discourage them from militancy and brigandage.

Uguru, who disclosed this to THISDAY in Lafia, believes that the era of militancy would soon be over.

According to him, the federal government has put in place measures to enhance the lots of the people of the region amd mitigate against environmental degradation. “The challenges of human attitude based on perception and understanding. The general physical challenges of governance have been there and this does not exclude the Niger Delta. We are a government trying to tap water from desert sand.

“Several people in the Niger Delta failed to realise that when we talk of change it is about a movement to another direction. We have just come back from Townhall meetings in the area and some of the challenges experienced have emanated from biased interpretations of government’s intentions.

“A lot of the silent majority of the people of the Niger Delta tend to agree with what we are doing. Despite the challenges of the present, there is hope and people appreciate this. While majority of the opinion moulders in the Niger Delta have taken an unfortunate position in assessing this government, there are also those who know that the administration has noble intentions for the region.

“Insinuations that the region is being deliberately short-changed on the advantages of governance is not correct.
“The president has done just one year in office and we had a South South President (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) who was there for six years. Any fair assessment of the incumbent administration should be juxtaposed by the performance of a son of the region for six years.

“ An administration that has two service chiefs, the Head of Service of the Federation and Ministers of strategic ministries with several projects targeted at the people already unfolding cannot be said to be doing disservice to the region. The lots of the people of the region holds better prospects under President Buhari,” the Minister declared.
On whether the federal government was negotiating with the militants, the minister stated that “ a government that is committed to development must do the appropriate thing to ensure peace. The government is looking at avenues to engender peace in the region and it is an ongoing process.”

He decried the environmental impacts of the actions of the militants and called on leaders from the region to join the administration in fashioning development in the region.

There has been a renewed orgy of militancy recently with many petroleum pipelines being the targets of the militants. THISDAY had reported that the militants had expressed their desire for a dialogue with the federal government.