President Muhammadu Buhari will now meet with leaders of the Niger Delta and other stakeholders at a later date contrary to an initial agreement, Vanguard reports.
The meeting between the president and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PNDF) had been scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 29, but will now hold on Monday, October 31.
Speaking to Vanguard about the modification on Saturday were the leader of PNDF, Chief Edwin Clark and Ledum Mitee, the secretary of the group’s central working committee
Nigeria’s minister of state for petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, also confirmed the latest development, saying: “It was actually a suggestion that the meeting could hold about that date, but having found out that 29 is a Saturday, you know it is not possible to drag the President for such a meeting on that day, the better day is Monday, October 31, so that is date.”
The meeting between both camps is expected to help reduce the tension in the region and finally out an end to the agitations by the militants in the south south who believe strongly that they have been repeatedly marginalised by the federal government.
Recently, a former military president in the country, Yakubu Gowon apologised to the Niger Delta people for the neglect they have endured in the hands of successive governments.
The former military head of state made this apology at the premiere of ‘Oloibiri’ which is a movie about the Niger Delta Gowon said the country was sorry for the way the region has been treated and urged all aggrieved persons to be ready to dialogue with the President Buhari-led federal government.
