Abuja — The Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Uffot Ekaette, has called on the government of Netherlands to take steps to ensure that, Shell Petroleum Company, one of its oil giants operating in the Niger Delta, complies with government's deadline on gas flaring in the region.

The Minister, who spoke, in Abuja, when he received the Dutch Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr. A.C.A. Van der Wiel, also assured of the revitalization of the Gulf of Guinea Security Services, as a platform of checking the flow of illegal arms into the Niger Delta as well as Money laundering , among other vices fuelling crises in the region.

A statement signed by the Deputy Director in charge of Press, in the Ministry, Mr Fidelis Osammor said, Ekaette further disclosed of the Ministry's intention to organize a broader and enlarged stakeholders meeting with oil multinationals operating in the Niger Delta, to drive home its determination to demand social responsibility in their operations.

The statement said, " He called on the Netherlands government to bring pressure to bear on Shell, which is a Dutch company, on the need to contribute to the eradication of gas flaring in Nigeria.

" The Minister stated that Nigerian government attaches much importance to the Gulf of Guinea Energy Security Service (GGESS) meeting and is anxious to see that it is revitalized.

" In this regard, there would be need to re-examine and restructure the GGESS meeting taking into consideration security, money laundring, etc are topical issues and Nigeria would use such platform to tackle the security challenges in the Niger Delta.

Ekaette reiterated the need for multi-national oil companies to perform their civic responsibilities in the Niger Delta region which would significantly reduce the environmental devastation and end militancy in the region." The statement added.

Speaking earlier, Ambassador Van der Wiel had applauded the Nigerian government creating the Ministry, but called for a white paper on the report of the Technical Committee on the Niger Delta.

Mr. Wiel, according to the statement also committed his home government to the enhancement of security in the Niger Delta, as well as the Gulf of Guinea.