Orji Inuagurates Committees To Fast-Track Amnesty

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State has inaugurated the two committees to coordinate the 14-day amnesty announced by the State Government for kidnappers and their sponsors.

The committees are Central Working Committee (CWC) and the Disarmament and Camp Management Committees.

Orji charged them to ensure the speedy realisation of the Amnesty programme of the State Government for repentant kidnappers in the state. The governor declared the amnesty in a state-wide broadcast on May 16, while the amnesty commenced the following day.

Three arms collection centres were created at Ukpakiri in Obingwa LGA, Asa High School in Ukwa Weast LGA and Mbutu Central School in Isiala Ngwa South LGA.

The arms are to be collected by the personnel of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The 14- member CWC is headed by the Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Umeh Kalu. It is to oversee all activities pertaining to the Amnesty programme.

 Also, the 8- member Disarmament and Camp Management Committee, headed by the Special Adviser on Security, Col. Ezechi Kanu, is to handle the management of the camps where the arms are to be submitted for proper documentation.

Orji explained at the inauguration of the committee that State government resorted to Amnesty because wars can always be settled on the conference tables, especially now that the repentant kidnappers have indicated their willingness to lay down their arms and embrace peace.

He noted that since the announcement of the Amnesty programme, repentant kidnappers in the state have been responding positively and made it clear that he would not want the programme to fail.

The governor noted that kidnapping has been a source of worry to his government, adding that if the project succeeds in Abia, it would become a model for other South East states having the same problem to copy.

He charged members of the committee to be diligent in their assignment and advised the security agencies to bear in mind that they are pursuing peace, stressing that it is only when the Amnesty has failed that they can use force.

Orji called for cooperation from both the security personnel and the repentant kidnappers to ensure the success of the assignment.

Responding on behalf of other members, the CWC chairman, Chief Umeh Kalu, thanked the governor for selecting them and promised that they will ensure the success of the programme.

 He noted that exclusion of Abia from the Federal Government’s amnesty programme was a grievous mistake.