The 60-day presidential amnesty proclaimed by Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for the militants in the Niger Delta zone of the country takes effect from Thursday.
The amnesty package is the president’s effort to end years of attacks on the region’s beleaguered oil industry.
A presidential pardon, rehabilitation programme, education and training will be there for the militants to benefit from in the package.
With just two days to the commencement of the programme, the governors of the six South-South geo-political zones (Niger Delta) have confirmed their unconditional support for the full implementation of the amnesty programme in the ma nner and form the President envisages.
Rising from their meeting with President Yar’Adua and members of the Presidential Panel on the Implementation of the Amnesty programme and the two Ministers of the Ministry of Niger Delta, Governor Liyel Imoke, who spoke on behalf of the governors, said a?all issues were discussed and we gave our commitment as governors that the amnesty must succeed.
Imoke, flanked by Governors Emmanuel Uduagham (Delta), Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa), Rotimi Amechi (Rivers), Goodswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Adams Oshiomole (Edo), also said they would meet on Wednesday with the Presidential panel on amnesty to iron out issues, including the post-amnesty period.
According to Imoke, you are well aware that we just completed a meeting with the President on amnesty and the implementation of amnesty which will be effective Thursday.
“It was for this reason that it was imperative that this meeting be held. After extensive deliberations, we as Governors confirmed our unconditional support for the amnesty programme and our commitment to ensure that amnesty is implemented in the manner and form in which Mr. President has envisaged it to be.
a?We also as Governors use this opportunity to call on all our citizens in the affected areas where amnesty is to be implemented to embrace this initiative and ensure that it is successful in the interest of the region. We also got Mr. Presidenta?s commitment on a number of issues.
He said President Yara?Adua had assured them that he was committed to the policy of former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the upgrading of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurum, near Warri, Delta State, to a university.
a?Mr. President also clarified the issue of the movement of the PTIwhich was not the official policy of government and which was not a decision of the Federal Executive Council. And as such, clearly the PTI remains upgraded to a university a propounded by the previous administration. It is to remain on course.