President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday assured oil companies operating in the Niger Delta that the Federal Government is taking all necessary actions to protect strategic assets in the region from vandals and criminals.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke while receiving the Global Director (Upstream) of the Royal Dutch Shell Group, Mr. Andrew Brown, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

There has been renewed cases of vandalism in the
region with militants targeting oil and gas facilities.
But Buhari told his guest that he has directed the
Chief of Naval Staff to reorganise and strengthen the
military Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta.

He said the reorganisation was meant to deal effectively with the resurgence of militancy and the sabotage of oil installations.

He said it was important for his government to take the issue seriously because it threatens the national
economy.

The President said the operations of the JTF were also being enhanced with increased support and
cooperation from the United States and Europe in the areas of training, intelligence, equipment and logistics.

“We have to be very serious with the situation in the Niger Delta because it threatens the national economy. I assure you that everything possible will be done to protect personnel and oil assets in the region,” Buhari said.

The President urged aggrieved persons, militants and communities in the Niger Delta to drop their confrontational stance and work with those who have been charged by the Federal Government to review the Amnesty Programme initiated by the Yar’Adua administration for the benefit of all parties.

He praised what he described as the resilience and staying power of Shell in Nigeria despite the operational challenges of the environment .

He urged the company to do its best to end gas-flaring in the Niger Delta quickly and produce more gas for electricity generation to support manufacturing and job creation in the country.

Brown had earlier appealed for an urgent solution to rising crime and militancy in the Niger Delta.

The Shell Executive also dispelled speculation that the company was pulling out of Nigeria.

He said contrary to such speculation, Shell was currently in discussions with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on new joint oil and gas projects