Spiff, Others Commend Amnesty Project’s Progress

Barely one year after the Federal Government declared amnesty for militants in the Niger Delta, stakeholders have hailed the scheme, saying the country has made good progress after the cessation of violence in the oil rich delta.

At a Niger Delta post-amnesty prayer summit held in Port Harcourt, yesterday, by the Niger Delta Amnesty Group, stakeholders said the gains had surpassed expectations.

First military Governor of  old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff lauded late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for initiating the programme , lamenting, however, that the Niger Delta had lost prominent sons in the fight for resource control.

He called on the people of the region to re-dedicate themselves to God and pray for the President, Goodluck Jonathan to steer the ship of the nation wisely.

Aside prayers, the Twon-Brass monarch also sued for patriotism, while expressing the belief that the country’s leaders would govern with wisdom to stabilise the polity.

King Diete-Spiff pledged support to the post-amnesty scheme, promising that his foundation was ready to sponsor some of the ex-militants who are willing to be trained in special skills in flying, diving and university.

Earlier in his speech, chairman of the occasion, Chief Andrew Uchendu, a member of the federal House of Representatives praised the people of the region for not losing hope in the unity of the country.

For him “God loves the Niger Delta so much and with our enormous resources, we have kept Nigeria together in the past 50 years.”

Represented by Godstime Oloku, Hon Uchendu called for more prayers for the country, governors, the presidency and the youths, noting that with the President now coming from the region, there was need for more commitment and  prayers by the people of Niger Delta.

Recalling how the amnesty progamme was initiated, former National Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Bishop Friday Nwator said Nigerians should be grateful to late President Yar’Adua for promulgating the amnesty scheme.

Bishop Nwator who now leads National Support for Jonathan Presidency observed that though peace had come, more needed to be done by the Federal Government to make the programme long lasting.

Bishop Nwator faulted the way and manner the prograsmme was later implemented, warning that,”non-violence training will not set the boys free but an indigenous deliverance activity that will transform them spiritually”.

He flayed the Federal Government for reneging on some of its promises to the ex-militants, stating that a lot of the militants had not been registered into the programme as well.

Earlier, President of Niger Delta Amnesty Group, Comrade Emmanuel Nkweke stated that considering the impact of the programme, Nigeria’s oil production had risen to a record 600+700million barrels against 2.4barrels per day in 2009.

Currently, he said all the Niger Delta states were now witnessing the return of foreign investors and that kidnapping had also reduced in some parts of the region.

Nkweke prayed the Federal Government to sustain the success recorded so far by implementing the 10 per cent equity for oil bearing communities in the region.