The three-month amnesty programme of the Federal Government ends on Monday morning, with militant leaders, Ateke Tom, Farrah Dagogo, and Government Tompolo as the last big catches of the programme.
The three men were treated lavishly by the Federal Government at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when they laid down their arms at the weekend.
Officials of the government are, however, insisting that there will be no extension of the programme. Indeed, the Nigerian President, Umaru Yar’Adua, said in Abuja that his government has already entered the “post-amnesty phase” of the peace programme.
Mr. Yar’Adua, who said the post-amnesty period is going to be more challenging than the first phase, also said in order to sustain the momentum of the post-amnesty programmes, rehabilitation and re-integration will begin immediately.
“We have a chance as a nation and we will show the world that it is peace, dialogue, and a sense of brotherhood to sit down and resolve issues,” Mr. Yar’Adua said. “I pledge to ensure that the real development of the Niger Delta has just begun. I also pledge that our water and oil shall be a blessing and not a curse.”
Mr. Yar’Adua said top government officials will soon meet with the former militant leaders and come up with acceptable rehabilitation programmes for them.
“They will sit down and look at issues that gave rise to the taking up of arms,” he said.
The governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was part of the team that took Tompolo to Abuja for a meeting with the president, said there had been some problems in the disarmament process in the state, as most of the arms were procured by ethnic groups.
He also said there will be no extension for the amnesty programme. “Anybody who does not come out as at today will have himself to blame,” he said on Sunday in Abuja.
PDP is happy with amnesty
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday congratulated the Federal Government for the amnesty programme.
“The national chairman, Vincent Eze Ogbulafor, and the entire National Working Committee (NWC) are particularly delighted with the good faith displayed by government and the huge successes recorded in terms of the number of those who have embraced the offer that is leading to peace in the Niger Delta region,” a statement by the national publicity secretary of the party, Rufai Ahmed Alkali, said.
“We also wish to congratulate the militants who have unconditionally accepted the Federal Government’s amnesty offer and who have pledged their commitment to lasting peace and security of the region. We also congratulate all those who have in one way or the other made this success possible.”
The party said since an “enabling environment has been created by the laying down of arms”, it is confident that the region will witness unprecedented development in line with the Federal Government’s Seven-Point Agenda.
“Since the declaration of the amnesty 60 days ago, incidents of insecurity and vandalism have greatly reduced. We thank our compatriots in the Niger Delta for showing faith in the system and call on those who are yet to lay down their arms to immediately do so in order not to roll back the achievements of the amnesty exercise.”