The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru, has appealed to Niger Delta Avengers to be patient with the Federal Government.
Uguru made the appeal while noting that government was committed to doing whatever it needs to do “and can do” to sustain peace in the oil rich region.
The Minister was reacting to threat by the militant group that they will resume attacks on oil facilities in the region.
Addressing State House Correspondents on Monday, Uguru said, “My message is not just verbal but it has been demonstrated at all times. We have been appealing with them, Avengers, to just be patient with us, because, most of the time, the issues that are brought up are those that tend to portray the quest for development of the region.
“And that is all we have been doing; these issues raised genuinely to the benefits of people of the region are being attended to.
“For instance, the Okerekoko University, you are aware that the vice-president has directed that that University must take off. And he also directed that a minimum of N5 billion be budgeted for the take off of the university so, it’s a matter of patience knowing that some of these things have a procedure.
“So, it will not be because it did not happen the way they wanted, so it will not happen. Everything has a phase of planning and a phase of execution.
“We would advise all of us to remain calm and see the things that we agitated for coming little by little.
“I just talked about the University. The other issue is the communities being part of surveillance of the petroleum infrastructure in the region.
“And of course you know that by the modular refineries which they had also talked about as sub-sect of how they can be engaged instead of what is called illegal refineries, they are also on, because the process of building a refinery or even getting the necessary procedures to establish such is not just a one day business.”
