Nigeria seeks lasting resolution to Niger Delta tensions

The Nigerian government, seeking to resolve tensions in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta that recently forced oil majors Chevron Nigeria Ltd., and Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production Co. Ltd. to shut in more than 40% of the country's crude oil output (OGJ Online, Mar. 24, 2003), established a presidential committee late last month to recommend solutions for restoring peace to the Warri area, OPEC News Agency reported.

April 16, 2003

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, Apr. 16 -- The Nigerian government, seeking to resolve tensions in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta that recently forced oil majors Chevron Nigeria Ltd., and Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production Co. Ltd. to shut in more than 40% of the country's crude oil output (OGJ Online, Mar. 24, 2003), established a presidential committee late last month to recommend solutions for restoring peace to the Warri area, OPEC News Agency reported.

The committee, headed by Minister of Defense Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, has three representatives each from the Urhobo, Itsekiri, and Ijaw communities who will submit recommendations for the resolution of long-standing issues that caused repeated violent upheaval in Warri.

President Olusegun Obasanjo Obasanjo urged leaders of the three communities to call their militant youths to order immediately and refrain from all acts of violence while the committee worked out a resolution that would be acceptable to all parties. The community leaders gave Obasanjo a firm commitment to keep the peace and give the committee time to complete its work, OPECNA reported.