Posted by By LUCKY NWANKWERE, Abuja on
President Umaru Yar'Adua yesterday expressed strong conviction that the ongoing extensive discussions and consultations with the stakeholders in the Niger Delta, including the militants by his administration, would restore peace and normalcy to the region.
President Umaru Yar'Adua yesterday expressed strong conviction that the ongoing extensive discussions and consultations with the stakeholders in the Niger Delta, including the militants by his administration, would restore peace and normalcy to the region.
He gave this opinion in Abuja when he received the visiting German Foreign Minister, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in the Presidential Villa, saying with the improved relations between the government, leaders and militants in the region, the area would witness increased investment, especially in the oil and gas sector.
'For the first time, we got all leaders of the militant groups to meet with government and with one another to chart a course for peace and normalcy in the Niger Delta, address the agitations and consider the implementation of the master plan," he stated.
He expressed confidence that the efforts being made by his administration on the crisis in the Niger Delta would improve security not only in the Niger Delta, but also in the Gulf of Guinea .
'We have appointed a minister to take charge of gas, because we believe it can play a major part in meeting our energy needs and we invite you to invest in this," the president added.
Speaking on his plan for the electoral reforms in the country, President Yar'Adua said he would 'bequeath a high quality electoral process" to Nigeria as he would use Nigerians of high moral standards and integrity, who have reputations to protect to carry out a comprehensive electoral reform.
In his remarks, the German foreign minister extolled the existing cordial relationship between Nigeria and Germany and expressed the hope that this would be 'strengthened by the impending signing of the Investment Protection Agreements between the two countries."
He said Germany has a lot to offer Nigeria in the energy sector and pledged to mobilize German investors to Nigeria for the purpose.
He invited President Yar'Adua to attend the European-African summit scheduled to hold in Portugal later in the year.