Kachikwu decries continued attacks on oil facilities

Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, has expressed  disappointment over the recent pipeline attacks by militants in the Niger Delta region on oil facilities despite efforts been made to dialogue.

In a statement signed by Idang Alibi, director of press and public relations in the ministry, Kachikwu insisted that the path to providing lasting solutions for the Niger Delta challenges is dialogue.

“The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources is saddened that despite months of intensive personal and collective efforts to engage all stakeholders in the region and despite the recent success in convening a meeting with His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to begin exploring the opportunities for deepening the dialogue, that these attacks have continued”, the statement said.

Three attacks have taken place over the last two weeks even whilst efforts are ongoing to prepare the grounds for dialogue.

According to the statement, the minister condemned the wanton attacks and reiterates that the path to providing lasting solutions for the Niger Delta challenges remains dialogue and appeals to all interested stakeholders in the Niger Delta to embrace the path of peace and dialogue and shun acts that further create difficulties for the country, impoverish and worsen the ecological problems of the region.

He urged all militants to stop and give the ensuing dialogue a chance to birth peace in the region.

“The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources once again appeals to all leaders and stakeholders in and outside the region to join hands with the government to find a lasting solution to this problem.

“As distraught as he and most ministers from the Niger Delta region are with these unfortunate incidents, they shall not give up, but will continue to work under the mandate of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to see how to deepen the engagement and get a complete stakeholder buy-in to the solution programme of the President”, the statement added.