SAN FRANCISCO, June 26, (THEWILL) – Ex-militants in the Niger Delta have declared its support for the peace initiatives in the region by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This decision was announced in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, after a meeting between the ex-agitators of phases 2 and 3 and the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd.)
He said the basis for acceptance of amnesty was to ensure the development of the Niger Delta and described the Special Adviser’s human capital development plans as soft landing that should be maximised by critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.
Responding, Gen. Boroh said it was imperative for the leaders to meet regularly with officials of the Amnesty Programme to share ideas, make observations and proffer solutions that would bring about peace, infrastructural change and human capital development of thousands of the youth captured in the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
He urged the leaders to use all channels of dialogue in solving problems to allow for government’s developmental projects like the rail construction, modular refineries and the community pipeline surveillance to take off as this would be of benefit to the people and create massive job employment for the youth of the region.
He emphasised that conflict and violence were no resolutions to the crisis and urged the leaders to constantly remind the ex-agitators in their camps not to breach the peace in the country and ensure that the non-violence agreement signed at Obubra that led to the declaration of Amnesty in 2009 is upheld.
One of the leaders of the militant groups, Aso Tambo, appealed for enlightenment of ex-agitators on new programmes of the office and approaches and decisions of government to move the region forward.
Boroh described as unfortunate comments from some quarters maligning his office and the character of President Buhari over the implementation of projects under the Amnesty Programme describin those responsible as faceless, disgruntled politicians and contractors whose efforts would only strengthen his resolve to carry out the mandate given to his office by the President.
