The Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, has met with former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo.
According to a statement on Wednesday from his office, the minister discussed issues bothering the Niger Delta region and how to tackle the issues of crude oil theft and infrastructure with Jonathan and Dokubo.
The statement said the visit of the minister to the former president was therefore to seek advice on how to better address the perennial challenges in the region.
It added that valuable and insightful discussions were shared on strategies to combat the issue of stolen crude, enhance infrastructure and employment opportunities for the teeming youths of the Niger Delta.
The statement noted that the minister seeks to drive positive change and development in this vital area of Nigeria which aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement reads: “On Tuesday, the former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, hosted the Minister at his residence in Abuja. They engaged in valuable and insightful discussions, focusing on strategies to combat crude oil theft, improve infrastructure, and create employment opportunities for the youth in the Niger Delta region.
“Accompanying the minister was the ex-president’s former Chief of Staff and former Deputy Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Chief Mike Oghiadohme.
“Engr. Momoh commended former President Jonathan for sharing his wealth of experience for the betterment of the Niger Delta region. He also expressed appreciation for the wisdom and generosity of His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, for taking the time to provide guidance and insights during the meeting. His commitment to the development of Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta region, is truly commendable.
“Engr. Momoh further commended President Goodluck Jonathan for his support and mentorship in addressing critical challenges and advancing the nation’s development.
“To expand his consultations with stakeholders in the Niger Delta region, the Hon. Minister also met with Alhaji Asari-Dokubo, a prominent figure in the Ijaw ethnic group. The primary topics of discussion included regional peace and strategies to combat crude oil theft, which has been detrimental to Nigeria’s oil production.
“Alhaji Asari-Dokubo, a significant political figure, provided valuable advice and expressed his commitment to supporting the Minister in his role.
“Engr. Momoh conveyed his sincere gratitude to Alhaji Asari-Dokubo for his warm welcome and valuable insights during the meeting. He emphasized the importance of such support as they work towards a brighter future for the Niger Delta region and the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“According to Asari-Dokubo, the Minister is a sincere personality who would be dedicated to addressing infrastructural deficits in the Niger Delta. He called on Niger Deltans to support the Minister and prevent obstacles that could derail the Ministry’s development plan.
“Asari-Dokubo also urged President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to take action to recover the monies wrongly allocated to unrelated projects by past governments.”