Juliana Okon lists three probable reasons why President Buhari will be represented by his vice Yemi Isinbajo.
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Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar yesterday awarded a “Weak Pass-mark” to the Buhari administration in his first year in office.
The presidential launch of the clean-up of oil spills in Ogoni land, Rivers State, Nigeria, as recommended in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report has commenced.
Buhari had already skipped a visit to the commercial capital Lagos in the south last month at the last minute.
A man who claimed to be a spokesperson for the group which is now demanding autonomy for the Niger Delta had warned had threatened to kill the President should he step foot in the Niger Delta region. Critics have accused Buhari, a Muslim from the north, of ignoring the predominately Christian south.
The elders, who spoke at a media briefing under the aegis of Concerned Niger Delta Elders, in Abuja, alleged that the sponsors of the bombings were uncomfortable with the pro-development and anti-corruption drive of the present administration and had therefore adopted sponsored attacks to create chaos so as to bring Nigeria backward for their selfish interest.
Buhari said on Sunday the government would hold talks with Delta community leaders to address their grievances.
The clean-up estimated to cost about $1 billion would seek to sanitize the creeks, swamps, fishing grounds and mangroves that have been destroyed by oil spills from multinational giants Shell, the country’s oil producer and other private firms.
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Local officials and Western allies such as Britain have told Buhari that moving army reinforcements to the Delta region would not be enough to stop the attacks and that the population’s grievances should be dealt with.
