Ex-freedom fighters, in the Niger Delta region, are squabbling over the Presidential Amnesty programme by the Federal Government to repentant militants, just as some say the programme was a waste and the country was running a huge budget in funding it.
While some section of the ex-militants have vowed to fight with all resources at their disposal, to resist any attempt by the in-coming Federal Government to scrap the Presidential Amnesty programme, others claimed the programme had only benefitted a selected few and should be scrapped.
Mr. Eyiri Emami, an ex- warlord, protested against the continuation of the programme and called on the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to scrap the programme on claims that it was not beneficial to the Niger Delta region.
The ex-militants, who stated this under the auspices of Leadership, Peace & Cultural Development Initiative, led by its president, Pastor Reuben Wilson, also called on all the beneficiaries of the programme to be on red alert for any eventuality.
They warned Buhari and the APC to ignore calls by mischievous people, who tend to misinform the in-coming Buhari administration by creating conflict in the region.
Wilson explained that Emami is an ethnic warlord, who is trying to encourage trouble, and is not even an ex-freedom fighter. According to him, he was not among those who surrendered their arms to the government in the interest of peace.
He further stated that Emami’s call was based on his pathological hatred for the Ijaw people and his misconceived idea that they were the major beneficiaries of the amnesty programme, based on their population, and participation in the agitation of the emancipation of the region.
“Mr. Emami’s hatred for the Ijaw ethnic nationality has beclouded his sense of reasoning and led him to make this unholy, catastrophic and ill-advised call to scrap the amnesty programme.”
Reuben Wilson stressed that the only panacea to sustain the current stability and peace in the Niger Delta was the continuation of the amnesty programme, but called on its beneficiaries to prepare themselves, in defence of the Niger Delta people, from further deprivation and marginalisation in whatever form.
