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Ex-militants vow to frustrate
Jonathan’s re-election POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12TH,
2013 By Sunday Apah Special Correspondent, Ughelli EX-MILITANT leaders across the Niger Delta region on Tuesday vowed to
frustrate the re-election bid of President
Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 due to what
they called the unsatisfactory way the
presidential amnesty programme is
being handled. This was revealed in a statement issued
by ex-warlord, General Godday Smith
(aka Bounanawei, gods of the Niger
Delta), alleging the continued plunder,
deceit and indiscretion in the federal
government amnesty programme in the region. According to the ex-warlord, the
President should not be deceived as the
effect of the amnesty is only felt in the
increase of oil production, but has not
made any remarkable impact on the
lives of youths in the region. He said: “Mr. President, do not allow
anybody to deceive you, you must
know that lasting peace cannot be
guaranteed in Niger Delta region, until
all ex-militants and youths across the
Niger Delta region that embraced the amnesty and surrendered their arms
are carried along and empowered to
directly benefit from the programme.” He continued: “I am afraid, Mr.
President, that it will surprise you to
learn that 80 percent of the ex-militants
that have not benefited in the amnesty
programme are not happy with your
istration, because they cannot have you from the Niger Delta as
President, and yet they cannot benefit
from a programme initiated and left
behind for you by late President Umaru
Yar’Adua, who wholeheartedly meant
well for all the Niger Delta youths. “Mr. President, the continued deceit in
the President Amnesty Committee if
not quickly addressed, may hinder your
perceived presidential ambition come
2015. As aggrieved ex-militants we are
already mobilizing to frustrate your re- election bid; the truth is bitter, but it
must be said.” The ex-warlord, who also threatened to
return to the creeks, said he was
deceived by the special adviser to the
President on Niger Delta Matters, Mr
Kingsley Kuku and late Gen. Azazi, as all
the promises made to him before he dropped his arms and embraced the
Amnesty were yet to be fulfilled He pointed that on June 25, 2009, when
late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
granted unconditional Amnesty to then
militants in Niger Delta, the laudable
initiative of late Yar’Adua was to
ensure that all youths involved in the act of militancy and related offences in
the region were transformed, made self
reliance and useful to themselves and
to the society at large. The Amnesty programme for the
unemployed and restive youths from
Niger Delta (ex-militants) was
recommended by a powerful
presidential committee and it was
legalized, but unfortunately what is happening in the Amnesty programme
today is completely out of place,
because we, who are the genuine
agitators and ex-militants leaders, have
been abandoned and shortchanged
with fake ex-militants leaders. Yar’Adua, in his wisdom made it clear
that the Government of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria was aware that the
challenges of the Niger Delta arose
mainly from the inadequacies of
previous attempts at meeting the yearnings and aspiration of the people,
and by the declaration of Amnesty to
Niger Delta youths, the late Yar’Adua
had set in motion machinery for the
sustainable development of youths in
the Niger Delta States.