Buhari vows to restore polluted Niger Delta environment

Standing before a staggering crowd in Bayelsa, the state of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), vowed to tackle the problems of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region. Buhari, who was adorned in Ijaw attire and a hat and staff to match, said his Presidency will embark on thorough cleaning and remediation of degraded Niger Delta environment in accordance with the recommended standard of the United Nations. The APC presidential candidate spoke at Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa, while asking the people of the state to vote out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February elections. Buhari arrived the stadium in company with some party bigwigs to meet a mammoth crowd of party faithful and other residents of the state, especially youths patiently waiting for him. He stormed the stadium with his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, his campaign Director, and Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, APC’s National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun and former Governor of Bayelsa State and the state’s leader of APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, amongst others. In apparent show of solidarity and hunger for change, the crowd waved their brooms, the symbol of APC, and waved their hands as they cheered Buhari and his entourage. The presidential candidate observed that the region and the state had been neglected for a long time with their means of livelihood which he identified as farming and fishing deprived them. He blamed the plight of the people on years of oil exploration and exploitation and lack of will by the government to enforce adequate cleaning and remediation of environment polluted by oil. He said his government will ensure that the environment is restored to enable the people go back to their means of sustenance. According to him his manifesto includes a robust plan to revive the agricultural sector and reduce the country’s over-dependence on oil. Explaining that the oil is a limited resources, he identified the state as having huge potential for rice farming and aquaculture, adding that everybody will be empowered through training and skill acquisition. The presidential candidate promised to ensure stable electricity supply to enable people grow and expand their businesses. Buhari, who asked the people not to allow PDP to stay one more day in office, observed that many factories had closed and left the country because of inability of the ruling party to find solutions for power problems. He sympathised with the people for relying on generators to sustain their business and companies, saying the APC government will fix the problem. He reiterated his commitment to zero-tolerance for corruption and said anybody who steals government money in his government will be forced to return it. He, however, appealed to the people to obtain their Permanent Voters Cards and ensure they vote for APC in the forthcoming election.