N-Delta militancy fuelled by non-clean up of Ogoniland —Buhari

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA—President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, in Nairobi, Kenya, said that non-clean up of oil spillages in the Niger Delta especially in Ogoniland, was responsible for the militancy the region witnessed in times past.

The president consequently vowed to clean up the land by implementing the United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP’s recommendations to save the land.

President Buhari made the promise during a visit to the United Nations Office in the Kenyan capital.

He also appealed for more support from the United Nations in the clean up of the region.

He said: “When I came into office on May 29, 2015, one of the first tasks I carried out was to authorise the implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP report for the clean-up of Ogoniland.

“The devastation caused by oil spillage has destroyed many lives and livelihoods and is clearly one of the reasons many people in that region lost faith in government and resorted to the many criminal activities we are seeing in the region today.

“The action our government took to implement UNEP’s recommendations has given the indigenes of the region hope that there are better days ahead. Let me, therefore, express appreciation on behalf of the Government of Nigeria to UNEP and other development partners for their cooperation and support on this very delicate matter and also request for their continued support as we implement the recommendations and transform the fortunes of the region.”

President  Buhari also applauded the outcome of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC,  held in Paris, France, in December last year.

He  called for rapid urbanization as the world population increases.