Former Niger Delta agitators under Third Phase Amnesty have called
for the continuation of Presidential Amnesty Programme beyond 2015.
They said the programme must not be discontinued until critical areas
identified by the Niger Delta Technical Report were addressed.
The Leader of Third Phase Amnesty, Ramsey Mukoro, said this in Yenagoa
on Monday. He also appealed to the Federal Government to integrate the
militants that were denied in the programme.
He said, “The Federal Government should ensure that those denied are
enlisted into the programme because it will bring about lasting peace
and contribute meaningfully to the development of the region.
“Also, the government should develop the communities, clean up oil
spills and ensure that the impact of the 13 per cent derivation and
ecological fund are felt in the communities.”
Commending the Federal Government on what had been achieved so far, he
said more emphasis should be placed on community development and
remediation of the environment.
He also urged the National Assembly to without delay pass the Petroleum
Industry Bill into law, saying, “This is expected to benefit our
communities in the long term.”
According to him, it will be a shock to ex-militants who are studying
abroad under PAP to return home and see their communities still
underdeveloped and the youth without jobs.
