ACTIVISTS in Niger Delta, have expressed sadness towards the Federal over the seeming abandonment of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, for ex-militants.
This is even as the group warned that it was already causing restiveness among the youth of the Niger Delta region.
Campaigners under the auspices of 21st Century Youth of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience, 21st CYNDAC, in a statement by the leader, self-acclaimed “General” Izon Ebi, at Port Harcourt, Rivers state, decried the management of PAP by a transition committee that has no idea of the fundamentals of Niger Delta struggle
“We condemn the current permanent inactivity in the amnesty program for ex-militants. This lull in the amnesty program does not in any way augur well for the fragile peace in the Niger Delta.
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“This program has been beneficial to the indigenes of the region as it has facilitated the training and education of youths from the region though pulling them out of the creeks and channelling their lives to meaningful endeavours, thus, the seeming abandonment of the program should be of grave concern to well-meaning citizens of the region and the country at large.
“It should be noted that the amnesty program came out as a result of the clamour for resource control, the then government of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua with relevant stakeholders came out with the program to give back to the region, which has given its all to the growth and development of the country.
“It should also be noted that since the commencement of the program, the federal government has been appointing the head of the program without necessary input from the leadership of the region. This appointment has created a total disconnect between the beneficiaries and stakeholders in the region , thus culminating in corruption that has been prevalent in the amnesty programme,” the agitators asserted.
