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Beneficiaries of the Niger Delta third phase Presidential Amnesty Programme have threatened to demand the return of their arms and ammunition from the Federal Government and return to the creeks if the government does not finalized the demobilization process for them.
The group, while commending the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col Milland Dixon Dikio, said it was unfortunate that over 11 years after surrendering their arms, the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration progress has not been completed.
The national chairman of the group, Mr Tonye Bobo, while speaking during a visit to the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Yenagoa Thursday, urged the Amnesty office to document those that surrendered their arms and ammunition but are yet to be documented in the programme to ensure complete peace in the Niger Delta region.
He said that though the interim administrator of the scheme, Col Dikio, has tried in solving most of the issues confronting the ex-agitators, the office should be funded to do more.
He also demanded that the third phase beneficiaries of the programme be included in education and vocational training for delegates.
Bobo said: “It’s unfortunate that we have stayed for 11 years plus and the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration is not completed, we are just trying to calm our followers, but our patience should not be considered to be foolishness.
“That is why when we saw the vision of Col. Dikio for Amnesty programme, we decided to key in to restore peace in the region.
“I want to assure you, if the needful is not done, there will be more agitations, we are only trying to calm our people for us to change the narrative, we are seeking maximum support from the government to the office of the interim administrator of the Amnesty programme, all the funds that is required and is due to the office should be released.
“We want the funding for Amnesty programme to move down to first line charge, those that disarmed and were not documented should be carried along, because all these days, they have been crying that if government is not reasoning with them, they will be demanding for their arms and ammunitions that they submitted to the government.
“We want to partner with the government and create a relationship that will be free of violence, so that people will know that what they are thinking about us is not what we are.
“Some of our people have applied since 2012 for education scholarship, up till date, these things have not been met,” he said.
Bobo also alleged that their woes had been compounded by the ex-militant leaders who had not only forgotten them, but have made themselves inaccessible and live flamboyant and ostentatious lifestyle to their detriment, while rating the current interim administrator, Col Miland Dikio, as most proactive and committed to the execution of its program.
