Following the continued attacks on petroleum pipelines by militants which has crippled production and has led to the shut down of some refineries, the federal government is set to negotiate a peace treaty with the Niger Delta militants.
Revealing the Federal Government’s plan, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and Lai Mohammed, minister of state for petroleum and the minister for information and culture respectively noted that the Federal Government is considering opening a negotiation with the militants in order to put a stop to militancy in the Niger Delta region.
The Ministers, while speaking at an interactive session with a coalition of civil societies in Lagos said the activities of the militants in the region is sabotaging the efforts of the government.
The petroleum minister, while addressing the issue said: “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,”
Also on the issue, the information minister, Lai Mohammed, lamented the activities of the militants adding that the best course of action in order to put a lasting solution to the issue of militancy in the region is for the government to dialogue with the militants.