Buhari meets Ijaw leaders, pledges action on environmental degradation, restructuring, others

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, met with the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) hailing their recent affirmation of belief in a united Nigeria and supporting the fight against insecurity by developing internal control mechanisms.

According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari gave the commendation while receiving the National Executive of INC, led by Professor Benjamin Okaba.

He urged them to use its influence “in making sure that we keep working together to keep this country a united, indivisible entity, so that we can tackle our problems together and overcome our challenges together.”

The president used the occasion to address some demands of the elders on several issues, including environmental degradation, restructuring, creation of states, allocation of operational licenses for marginal fields to Ijaw people, inauguration of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), among others.

On the Hydrocarbon Remediation Project, the president said he had directed the Federal Ministry of Environment to ensure the remediation efforts in Ogoni are implemented with a high percentage of local content and inclusion of the surrounding communities.

Similarly, Buhari said the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, under the same Ministry of Environment, is working to ensure oil spills are reduced and new ones prevented while all relevant agencies of government have been directed to ensure they enforce compliance by the International Oil Companies to international best practices.

Addressing the call for immediate restructuring, he noted that the National Assembly whose responsibility it is to ensure the constitution responds to the call for a restructured Nigeria has already concluded regional consultations.

“As soon as they finalise the process, necessary action would not be delayed on my part,” he said.

On the creation of two additional states and more local government areas for the Ijaw people, the president said it is a legislative matter, which should naturally be handled by the National Assembly with concurrence at the state levels.