By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators has called on Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Maduke, to do all within her power to ensure that development was brought to the Niger Delta region in view of its contribution to the sustenance of the country.

Coordinator of the group and former militant, ‘General’ Durus Golden, who stated this in Warri, Delta State, noted that many oil producing communities in the region are today grappling with one form of problem or other as a result of oil and gas exploration with nothing worth while to show for the abundant resources in their lands.

He noted that as a result of peace in the region, crude oil production had gone up from 700,000 barrels per day to between 2.4millions and 2.6millions barrels per day.

He stated that several Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,  NNPC mega floating stations in the creeks were not functional, leading to the people facing untold hardship in getting petroleum products.

According to him the Minister should do more for the long neglected region for the world to see, pointing out that the poor distribution of petroleum products in the region had made the prices go beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.