President meets oil executives on Delta crisis

Applying another measure to bring peace and development to the Niger Delta, a meeting convened by President Olusegun Obasanjo decided on Monday that governors of oil producing states, key players in the oil industry must meet every month to review efforts at rapid development of the volatile region.

State owned Nigerian Television Authority reported that the decision was taken on Monday at the end of a meeting Obasanjo held with senior government officials, principal officers of the National Assembly, his party officials and oil company executives.

Although vowing to act tough against crime in the region, Obasanjo called on concerned parties to expedite action on whatever they were doing to solve the many problems of the oil producing states. He told oil companies to find more ways to hire indigenes of the area. For example, he suggested indigenes be hired for positions in public relations offices as a way of bridging the communication gap between oil firms and the communities.

Nigeria’s 108 million people rely heavily on the oil states which produce 95 percent of the country’s foreign revenue.