President Muhammadu Buhari has enjoined chieftains of the All Progressives Congress to reach out to the Niger Delta militants to halt the attacks on the nation’s oil installations.
Buhari made the passionate appeal on Friday when he hosted APC chieftains to breaking of fast dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said: “For those of you, who have friends either among the leadership or among the militants themselves, please beg them in the name of God Almighty to take it easy.
“We need to stabilize the economy to create employment.”
The President noted that the country was facing tough times, adding that all hands must be on deck to put the nation back on track economic and security wise.
According to him: “We are in a very difficult time.
“It is particularly bad.
“We have to organize ourselves and our constituencies.
“Tell them we are all in this together.”
Buhari also noted that no insurance company would be willing to insure oil installations that could later be blown up.
He also noted that banks would not be favourably disposed to financing oil installations because of the risk involved.
In attendance were party bigwigs such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Naaba; the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Segun Oni; and former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva ,among others.
However, a National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was conspicuously absent.
On the forthcoming Edo and Ondo States governorship elections, Buhari promised that votes would count.
He congratulated the APC leadership for organizing peaceful primaries in Edo State.
The National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, commended the steps taken so far by the President to reposition the country, assuring him of the support of party members.
Odigie-Oyegun said: “Any meaningful development requires strong and determined leader.
“Things must change.
“Those things don’t come easily.
“Nigeria is clearly a difficult nation to govern.”
