President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua gave hints yesterday that the Federal Government was on the verge of a breakthrough in its negotiations for lasting peace with Niger Delta militants.
He disclosed that the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, had held extensive meetings with various groups in the oil-producing region and some progress had been made in getting them to come for a roundtable discussion.
“The government is at the threshold of having an understanding with militants in the Niger Delta region,” he said. “The Vice President is leading efforts to get the militants’ leaders to come to the table for dialogue. We are on the threshold of having an understanding.”
The President expressed confidence in the Niger Delta Master Plan drawn up by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“We have agreed collectively with the states of the region, that as soon as peace is restored in the region, we will begin full implementation of the holistic development,” he said.
The progress in negotiations is considered a major development as the President had hinged the successful attainment of his seven-point agenda of energy, security, wealth creation, development of human capital, land reform, capacity for mass transit and security in the Niger Delta to the respect for rule of law, regulations and procedures, planning and leadership and hard work.
He also disclosed that he would make good his promise to declare a national emergency on the energy sector after the inauguration of the National Council on Energy during the next Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in a fortnight.
The President, who stated this while declaring open the first presidential retreat since the inauguration of his administration for ministers, permanent secretaries and special assistants yesterday, announced that “by next Council meeting, we will establish a National Council on Energy that will advise government on power, gas and energy. After the establishment of the Council, it will sit, invite experts and work out a programme for our self-sufficiency in power and energy.
“And after the inauguration, an energy emergency will be declared in this country so that the nation, within the next decade, will have sufficient energy to drive a modern economy”.
He however regretted that the education sector was in a shambles, declaring that “you cannot develop a modern nation without a vibrant educational sector. I noticed that these days and in the last few years, when we require experts, we look forward to the Diaspora. This is another indication of the failure of the education sector. We know that the education sector is in a serious crisis. Determination, hardwork and a lot of funding need to be invested in this sector. And to achieve the desired change, it is not going to be a one or two day solution. But we must start. If we don’t, there is no way we can grow the human infrastructure needed to power the commanding heights of the economy”.
Aug172007