FG Considers Dialogue With Militants To End Pipeline Vandalism

The Federal Government has indicated its readiness to dialogue with the Niger-Delta militants on the need to put an end to the incessant vandalism of pipelines in the oil rich region.

The Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu said on Monday.
Addressing an interactive session with a coalition of civil societies in Lagos, presided by Dr. Moses Ilo, founder of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN), the duo emphasized that the despicable activities of militants is currently sabotaging efforts being made by the government to revamp the nation’s economy.

The minister of information bewailed that there was no other solution to the issues happening in Niger Delta other than engaging them in meaningful dialogue.

This is just as the minister of petroleum stated that the government has to realise that fighting militants using the military would not solve the problem.

“The military barrels cannot stop or solve problem of militancy in the Niger–Delta region. I will have to go back to my brothers, they are our brothers we will go and dialogue with them,” Kachikwu said.

It would be recalled, the Niger Delta Avengers, a new militant group, which is responsible for the recent attacks on oil installations in that region, issued a two-week ultimatum to operators of oil blocs in the area to shut down or face a ‘bloody’ attack.