Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress, APC's presidential candidate, has met with ex-military commanders and important stakeholders from the six Niger Delta states to discuss his development plan for the region.
Tinubu assured the stakeholders of his willingness to support the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and ensure the appropriate execution of the Niger Delta Development Commission's (NDDC) master plan for the local communities, according to sources close to the meeting.
It was also gathered that he also unveiled a snippet of his economic blueprint, particularly taking the Niger Delta stakeholders on a journey of how his administration would reap the gains from the Russia-Ukraine war in the area of gas and oil revenues, pointing out that the ongoing war has thrown Europe into an energy crisis as they were looking towards Africa for gas energy and Nigeria would be a major player.
He had said: “Nigeria is expected to generate billions in dollars from the sale of gas and will enable the country payoff its debts, build infrastructures, pay salaries of striking University lecturers and put Nigeria on the part of development.”
Commenting on the outcome of the meeting between Tinubu and Niger Delta stakeholders, Chief Prere Agbeinfa said in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State that the meeting also agreed that the recent award of crude oil pipeline surveillance contract was done in line with such plan by the current and successive administration.
“We are aware of the fact that oil and gas are primarily located in the Niger Delta and the contract is meant to protect the free flow of exploration that will generate billions of dollars into the nation’s treasury.
“It is also agreed that these crude oil pipeline surveillance contractors are working in partnership with beneficiaries of PAP in order to arrest the oil thieves and secure the pipelines which will benefit millions of families across Nigeria and boost the nation’s economy.
“As a visionary, Asiwaju Tinubu has also pledge not to terminate PAP that have benefitted millions of Niger Deltans but instead he promised to work with the Ex-Militant leaders and we’ll meaning Nigerians for the sustained finding of the programme.”