N74bn not enough for amnesty programme – Dokubo-Asari
Former
President of the Ijaw Youth Council and Leader of the Niger Delta
Peoples Volunteer Force, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, on Monday insisted
that the Federal Government’s N74bn vote for the rehabilitation and
retraining of the Niger Delta ex-militants in the 2012 budget was not
enough.
In a statement, Dokubo-Asari demanded
that a 10-day oil production proceeds should be allocated to the
programme, since the country’s oil production had risen to 2.6 million
barrels per day against 680, 000 before the amnesty programme was
instituted by ex-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
According to him, the increase is part of the gains of the amnesty programme.
He said, “With all these gains, one
expects that the operators of the amnesty project should have been
encouraged and applauded. Instead, what we see is rebuke, recrimination
and an attempt to scuttle the project by those who contribute next to
nothing in the upkeep and maintenance of the Nigerian state but are now
calling for a probe into the amnesty project.
“There is nothing wrong with probing a government institution if it is not done out of malice.
“It is important to state that going by
the 2012 budget passed by the National Assembly, the amnesty project
budget is about N74bn annually. Which means that amnesty project budget
for a year is far less than two days oil production.
“I believe that the resources allocated
to the amnesty project is inadequate and cannot dig deep to satisfy the
aspirations and yearnings of the people of the oil-bearing communities. I
hereby suggest that for a new start, 10 days oil production proceeds,
after removing cost of product and percentage proceeds due to joint
ventures partners, should be allocated to the training and education of
the people of the oil-bearing communities through the amnesty project.”
The ex-militant alleged that the
company of one of the allies of the late Gen. Sani Abacha offered oil
operating licence on July 8, 1996 produces 400, 000 barrels of oil per
day, meaning that the company makes N2.3bn annually, despite the death
of the owner.
“If a dead individual is raking N2.3bn
in 365 days, why should N74bn be allocated to the amnesty project from
resources gotten from underneath their soil?,” he said.
“This is how the Nigerian state is been
run and managed at the expense of the vast majority of her people. While
some people pretend to be blind to these painful realities, some of us
will not join the bandwagon of the blind men, these inequity, injustice
and blatant insensitivity must be checked now if we are to have a stable
polity.”
The NDPVF leader added, “Most people
will be wondering why I have chosen to speak in favour of the amnesty
project, even though I hate the tag amnesty, I know that the managers
of the project have managed it so well to the benefit of the recipients.
“Today, thousands of young men and women
are being trained as doctors, engineers and oil work men and I believe
that if this project is expanded and the amnesty tag is dropped, the
belief by most of us that we are been criminalized for standing up for
our right will be removed and more people will benefit from the project.
“at present, most people who hitherto,
would have been committing crimes in the creeks are now meaningfully
engaged, learning and acquiring skills in various universities,
polytechnics and technical institutions all over the world.
“As it is said, an idle mind is a
devil’s workshop; the people managing the amnesty project have used the
project to rehabilitate and readmit the ex-militants who lived the life
of criminality into civil society.”
PUNCH-March 20, 2012 by Friday Olokor, Abuja.
PUNCH-March 20, 2012 by Friday Olokor, Abuja.
Niger Delta militants.
Special
Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, has
said the government will not accede to the demand of some aggrieved
ex-militants for their inclusion in the Amnesty Programme. .
Kuku, who is also the Chairman of the
Presidential Amnesty Programme, maintained the position of the
government that the Amnesty window had closed.
According to him, the government is
working on the reintegrating of the 26,358 ex-militants from the first
and second phase of the programme, saying those involved are undergoing
skill acquisition training and formal education within and outside the
country.
He said the government should not be
expected to yield to the demand from people who had resorted to killing
to get government attention.
He called on the Joint Task Force in
Niger Delta to be alive to its responsibility of security and peace
maintenance in the oil-rich area.
Kuku urged all development agencies in
the Niger Delta such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, the
Ministry of Niger Delta, state and local governments to provide
alternative means of empowerment for the unemployed youths in the
region.
He said, “How can Federal Government
accommodate somebody because he killed people; because he killed
patriotic citizens, a Lt. Col and Naval personnel. No. That cannot be
the reason for admitting people to the Amnesty Programme.
“There is no third phase in the Amnesty Programme and there is no window that will include anybody in the programme.”
Kuku alleged some of the youth agitating for their inclusion in the programme had been threatening him.
The Presidential aide claimed anonymous
text messages were being sent to him, warning him of an impending move
to destroy his country home at Arogbo in Ese Odo Local Government Area
of Ondo State.
PUNCH- March 8, 2012 by Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja.
NIGERIANS ARE ASKING, WHAT IS NEXT? WHICH
OTHER TERRORIST GROUP WOULD THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT PAY NEXT? AT WHO’S EXPENSE?
THE REALITY IN NIGERIA IS THAT INNOCENT
LIVES ARE BEING LOST DAILY WHILE THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO FOCUS
MAINLY ON THEIR OWN SELFISH INTEREST. DECADES OF NEGLECT CAUSED BY NIGERIAN
CORRUPT LEADERS IS A THREAT TO NIGERIANS AT HOME, ABROAD AND TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
WE NIGERIAN GLOBALLY ARE SEEKING HELP
AND SUPPORT FROM ALL NIGERIANS AROUND THE GLOBE, FROM FRIENDS OF NIGERIANS AND
WORLD LEADERS TO HELP US PUT A STOP TO DECADES OF ENDEMIC CORRUPTION BY
NIGERIAN CORRUPT LEADERS.
PLEASE SUPPORT AND JOIN US IN OUR
GLOBAL PROTEST
AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA ON THE 23RD OF JUNE
2012. FOR ADRESSES AND LOCATION OF PROTEST, SEE LINK “COUNTRIES AND ADDRESSES OF PROTEST 23RD MARCH 2012”.
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