Niger-Delta Amnesty: Buhari Will Probe The Programme – Presidency

A presidential spokesperson has revealed that Muhammadu Buhari will look into the amnesty programme for Niger Delta ex-militants.

The Nation reports that Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said this on Kaakaki, a breakfast programme on Africa Independent Television, on July 24, Friday, in Abuja.

According to the presidency, it would be wrong for Buhari to continue the programme without taking a look at the whole amnesty package.

“Don’t also forget that if a situation or process was riddled with corruption and you come saying you are going to clean up the system, and then you continue to just run on the same steam of what you met on ground then you have not changed anything.

“There are a lot of issues about it and the president is studying those issues. After he has finished studying them, the package will be unfolded on amnesty,” the spokesperson said.

Thirteen pilots from the Niger Delta region undergoing training at the Lufthansa airline school in Frankfurt, Germany, have been sent away for non-payment of fees. Commenting on the recent development, Adesina stressed that the situation would be sorted out soon.

During the programme, the presidential spokesperson took the opportunity to dismiss claims that the Niger Delta region has been neglected by Buhari’s administration.

“If you follow that conversation trend through, you will also recall that the president also said that the constitution has protected all parts of the country, every part, and no part can be marginalized. So it is only somebody who takes part in what he said that will want to make mischief out of that. But if you take it as a whole, it is clear. And he believes in fairness and justice and so will ensure that no part is marginalized,” he said.

Adesina has noted that Buhari still believes in the amnesty programme and will keep it going.

“The president is studying the report. He is studying the one he met on ground. When he studies it fully something will be done,” he added.

Earlier this week, Chief Edwin Clark urged Buhari to take the Niger-Delta amnesty programme seriously as it has a way of affecting the nation.

According to the Ijaw leader, the president should be aware of how important it is to have peace in the Niger Delta region. He also stressed that the situation of things in the region would affect other parts of the country.