Ex-militants demand relocation of oil coys to Niger Delta

Ex-agitators under the Federal Government Amnesty Programme have opposed reported plans to terminate the Presidential Amnesty Programme in 2018.

Ex-militant leader and Chairman, Amnesty Phase 11 in Delta State, Ambassador (Chief) Kingsley Muturu said the laudable intentions of the initiative is far from being achieved.

Muturu advised that the FG should first ensure the relocation of multinational oil companies and facilities back to the Niger Delta before such a move.

“The ideal of peace and deserved development of the Niger Delta for which late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua laudably offered and implemented the Amnesty programme remains far from being achieved,” he said.

Muturu alleged that the amnesty programme has suffered declining fortunes recent.

“It is disheartening that even those interested in agricultural training, whose training were supposed to last longer were reduced to two week training or less. The implication is that they were not trained at all while the vendors (contractors) of such programmes smile to the banks with huge amounts,” he said.