GENERAL ABBEY ATTRIBUTES INCREASE IN CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION TO IMPROVED SECURITY IN NIGER DELTA

The rise in Nigeria's crude Oil production to between 2.3 to 2.5 million barrels per day from an abysmal 700 barrels per day has been attributed to improved security in the Niger Delta region.
Former Chairman of the Amnesty Planning Committee, Major General Godwin Abbey (rtd) made this known while taking stocks of the benefits of the amnesty programme stating that programme has increased in giant proportions the development in the region especially as it regards to human capital development.
According to Abbey, apart from oil production dropping to 700, 000 barrels per day, the country was losing about N8.7billion (US$58million) daily as a result of the conflict in the Niger Delta region.
He also said that the conflict in the region also caused the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas(NLNG) which has entered into contractual agreements with several countries to supply natural gas to them was defaulting and had started declaring losses by early 2009.
He said,”You may recall that by April 2009, the level of insecurity in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria had deteriorated to a point where the entire world became apprehensive of the nature of calamity that was to befall Nigeria.” “
Nigeria's crude oil production during the period had dropped from 2.3million barrels per day to an abysmally low 700, 000 barrels per day, figures presented to government in May 2009 showed that we were losing about N8.7 billion (US$58m) daily as a result of the conflict in the Niger Delta.
As a result of the conflict also, the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) which has entered into contractual agreements with several countries to supply natural gas to them was defaulting and had started declaring losses of over US$20 billion by early 2009.”
He also decried the lost opportunities as a result of the crisis including the stoppage of physical construction work in the region either by the state or federal government, as well as the abandoning of the East West road and the closing up of several companies and factories and relocating to Lagos or non-core Niger Delta states that were considered relatively safe.”
Corroborating the figures, Senior Special adviser to the President on Amnesty, Kingsley Kuku also said there was need to facilitate empowerment and development in the region.
Kuku explained that with the success of the Post Amnmesty programme crude oil exploration has increased from 700,000 barrels per day in 2009, to 2.3 million barrels per day when the programme started now, increasing today to 2.6 million barrels per day.
He said,:''We cannot but give empowerment, and justice to that land, that is the anxiety we expressed about the programme. We need to give empowerment to youths, who are ex- militants, our people who need to be trained, who are not part of this amnesty programme. We need to train other youths who are not ex- agitators, so that it will not seem as if they are excluded from engagement, governments are the level of the local and state levels must initiate programmes for youths, that will empower youths, employ and engage youths, who are not part of amnesty, so that peace in the region will be lasting. We need to empower our youths to fast track development, that is the whole essence of the amnesty programme."