planned bombing of oil installations in the Niger Delta region would
further plunge the country into an untold economy hardship, if urgent
steps are not taken to address concerns.
A faction of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers and others, had
threatened to resume bombing of oil installations in protest of the
delay in the appointment of a substantive Coordinator of the
Presidential Amnesty Program, PAP, after the suspension of Prof Charles
Dokubo, who headed the agency.
Dokubo is currently under probe by a committee set up by the office of
the National Security Adviser, NSA, for financial fraud.
A statement from the Ex-Militants, signed by Comrade Doukeme Benatari,
warned the Federal Government not to return the country to the
Pre-Amnesty era.
“Ex-Militants from the Nine Niger Delta states have raised concerns over
the imminent threats to Oil Facilities and Oil Pipelines by factions of
the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers and other Militant groups due to the
Federal Government’s delay in appointing a new Coordinator for the
Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) from the Ijaw Ethic Nationality in
Niger Delta region.
“The Ex-Militants call on President Muhammadu Buhari and the National
Security Adviser Maj. Gen. Babagana Muhammed Monguno (rtd.) to urgently
appoint a new Coordinator for the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP)
from the Ijaw Ethic Nationality in Niger Delta region.
“The Ex-Militants warned the Federal Government that this is not the
time to play politics with the lifeline of the nation’s economy given
the raging oil wars between Russia and Saudi Arabia and the Corona-Virus
disaster that have caused oil prices to plunge and destroying the
world’s economy. They warned the Federal Government not to return the
country to the Pre-Amnesty era when Nigeria barely produced one million
barrels of oil per day.”
They lamented that no Southerner is currently employed at the North East
Development Commission (NEDC) as a Receptionist or as a Director, and
considers it a great insult to the people of Niger Delta region for
President Buhari to appoint only Northerners as members of the new Niger
Delta Amnesty Committee setup by the National Security Adviser Maj. Gen.
Babagana Muhammed Monguno (rtd.) to pilot the affairs of the Amnesty
programme.
The Ex-Militants noted that thousands of Niger Delta students are
stranded and are suffering in universities across the country due to the
non-payment of their tuition fees and living expenses.
They explained that by conducting an investigation on the use of
previous Amnesty funds does not mean that the lives of thousands of
Amnesty beneficiaries must be placed on hold.
They argue that the Amnesty Committee investigating the program and
currently situated at the Office of the National Security Adviser led by
A. A. Lawal, can operate simultaneously along with a new Amnesty
Coordinator.
”The investigators should focus on their investigations which they
started in 2019 at the NSA’s office while the new Amnesty Coordinator
will focus on the daily operations of the Amnesty Programme to serve the
Niger Delta people.”
They called on President Buhari to be decisive and not to allow his
appointees play politics with the Amnesty Programme by urgently
appointing a new Amnesty Coordinator to avoid giving rallying and
fighting causes to factions of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers and
other Militant groups that are bent on destroying Oil Facilities and Oil
Pipelines which will curb the nation’s oil production and revenue during
these difficult period.