By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA—THE Indigenous People of Niger Delta, IPND, yesterday, tasked the newly-appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to consider rapid development of the Niger Delta region.

Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapher during the APC Caucus meeting at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

This was contained in a statement signed by the President-General, IPND, Pumokumo Tiemo in Abuja, where he said with the many promises made and agreements reached by the government and people of the region in the past and present should be carried out for peace and justice to reign.

He said the people of the region have been peace loving and patriotic since 1956 when oil was discovered in the region, and that they have been pursuing their demands from government and operators in the sector via dialogue to develop the region, lamenting that most at times, government have always reneged on the agreements and promises.

The statement reads in part: “The Indigenous People of Niger Delta, IPND, hereby congratulate Mr Boss Mustapha for his appointment and swearing-in as the Secretary to the Government Federation, SGF. We see it is a way forward for development in the county.

“Our expectation is that his appointment will put an end to the issues within the SGF office and channel a new course of development for Nigeria and the Niger Delta Region in particular.

“We believe in justice and peace as major stakeholder in the region, and we want the new SGF to place the region among his development priority with all sense of seriousness in order to ensure peace and justice in the region.”

“Our people are peace loving and patriotic Nigerians since 1956 oil was discovered in the region, and have not been violent, but have been presenting their demands to the government and operators in the sector via dialogue to meet them, but were not taken seriously, before recent agitations turned a bit violent.

“Therefore we want Mr Mustapha as the new SGF to be committed to various agreements reached to develop the region through his good office to work on the dire need of the Niger Delta people and our beloved nation is general.”

Meanwhile, IPND in the statement commended President Muhammadu Buhari over the appointment and swearing-in of Mustapha as the SGF on Wednesday.

“As we commend the President for the appointment of the SGF we also want to draw the attention of the Presidency to the so many developmental challenges tha