President Muhammadu Buhari promised visiting US secretary of state John Kerry that the federal government will not use heavy force to combat ethnic insurgencies in the Niger Delta except when compelled to do so.
Niger Delta insurgents has been wrecking havoc in the South south region of Nigeria Since President Buhari assumed office in May last year. Several groups have been taking up arms and blowing up oil installations. Despite government pleas for the militants to lay down their arms and talk, some of the groups like the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) are reluctant to do so as they are mistrustful after past betrayals.
While speaking Wednesday during the visit of the US secretary of state John Kerry, President Buhari said that although militancy in the Niger Delta had impacted negatively on the economy and affected the positive intentions of international and local investors, the government was showing restraint and would not to use real force, except when constrained to do so.
Buhari also pledged to make sure that the anti-corruption crusade outlives him.
He said: “We will insist on the standards we’re establishing. We are laying down administrative and financial instructions in the public service that must be obeyed and any breach will no longer be acceptable.
“We will retrain our staff, so that they understand the new orientation and those who run foul of these rules will be prosecuted no matter who is involved. But we will be fair, just and act according to the rule of law.”
On the Boko Haram insurgency, President Buhari thanked the US for both hard and soft military assistance. On the economy, the president assured Mr Kerry that the focus of his administration was on the diversification of the economy having learnt the lessons from years of over-dependence on oil.
John Kerry, on his part, commended the courage of President Buhari in fighting corruption, saying: corruption creates a ready-made playing field for recruiting extremists. He added that President Buhari inherited a big problem and the US will support him in any way it can.
