President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted to implement the 16-point agenda outlined by the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, as minimum preconditions for peace, stability and development in the region.

Buhari recently revealed this at the 4th meeting of the National Council on Niger Delta, in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

According to him, after lots of engagements with elders in the region, his government can see the opportunity to ascertain the diverse needs of stakeholders in the region and experience some of the vital developmental challenges confronting the people there.

He added that his administration is repositioning the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and the Amnesty Programme to ensure they deliver on their objectives and mandate.

His words, “The government is repositioning the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and the Amnesty Programme to ensure they deliver on their objectives and mandate.”

“The on-going forensic audit of NDDC is expected to reposition the Commission and galvanise it towards optimal performance to provide the needed infrastructural and socio-economic development for the people of the Niger Delta Region.

“I am aware that due to the commitment and efforts of the Honourable Minister, the NDDC Headquarter building, which has been on-going in the last 24 years, has been completed and awaiting commissioning by Ministers for the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs was a deliberate action to fast-track and bring uncommon development in the Niger Delta Region considering their wealth of experience and knowledge of the challenges faced by the good people of the Niger Delta Region.

“I am delighted to note that the new leadership in the Ministry has prioritized the implementation of the Harmonization of all Developmental Plans of all Agencies and Development Partners operating in the Niger Delta Region into a single Plan as roadmap to accelerated development of the region.

“As Stakeholders, some of the issues that must engage your minds as you deliberate in this meeting today should relate to economic diversification, fostering economic growth, eradication of extreme poverty, promoting social inclusion, creation of jobs and stemming environmental degradation including climate change in the Region.

“If you are able to achieve these, a significant part of the challenges in the Region would have been resolved.

“This will certainly accelerate the development of the Region and provide opportunities to improve basic services promote economic growth, enterprise development and attract investments into the Niger Delta Region.

“I therefore call on all Council Members and Stakeholders to engage constructively as this will afford everyone the opportunity to come together as experts to deal with issues that are of utmost importance to the well-being of the Niger Delta people and largely, the country as a whole.”