Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has met with the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Kingsley Otuaro, in a pre-emptive bid to stop agitations that could disrupt Nigeria’s oil production.
Restiveness in the Niger Delta, the region where Nigeria’s crude oil exports are explored, often affects the country’s production quota in the global oil market.
Vice President Osinbajo visited the oil-producing communities several times in 2017 where issues that lead to these agitations were discussed and some of them resolved.
Otuaro, who spoke with the media after the meeting, said that “there are some issues and we needed to set up consultative plans; how to engage ourselves with a view to reconciling.”
According to the deputy governor, the meeting with the vice president was part of consultations between host communities in the oil-producing areas and government.
He said it was agreed at the meeting that there would be “a platform to sorting out some of these issues” immediately after the Eid al-Kabir holiday.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who was also at the meeting, said that the meeting was to consult with Vice President Osinbajo on the issues in the Niger Delta.
“We had some notice of agitation from the Niger Delta, and the vice president, of course, preempted everything by inviting the deputy governor of Delta State so that we can understand exactly what the issues are.
“These are host community issues and when they come up, we have to deal with them early before they fester and become bigger problems,” Sylva stated.
Source: VON
