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Amnesty Students commends Buhari, Niger-Delta Avengers withdraws ceasefire

Ex-militants of the Niger Delta Region cum Students, sponsored to the United States by the Office of the President under the Presidential Amnesty Programme, have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to the Amnesty Programme.

The Leader of the Amnesty Students, Jimmy Iwezu, also applauded the leadership of Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd), the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

Iweazu stated that despite the economic recession Nigeria went through, the Country did not back out on the payment of the Student’s fee and allowances.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to put it on record that our allowances and tuition fees have been paid up to the month of September, 2017 and the Amnesty Office has promised to pay up to November, 2017 when the next payment is made”.

He explained that fraudsters were using social media platforms to spread misleading information about the welfare of students sponsored by the federal government in different institutions of higher learning in the United States.

“We wish to disassociate ourselves from any attempt to tarnish the image of Nigeria in the U.S. through outright lies, falsehood and blackmail being peddled in the social media by a faceless group that has called on people to join them on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, for a public demonstration against the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari at the White House in Washington DC, USA”.

In September, Boroh said over five million ex-agitators had benefitted from the programme since its inception in 2009, adding that the impact of the Amnesty Programme has been very satisfactory and encouraging because the ex-agitators have imbibed that culture of ensuring peace.

Niger Delta Avengers withdraws ceasefire

The Niger Delta Avengers is a group of militants which emerged after the Amnesty Program.

In August 2016, the Niger Delta Avengers pledged to observe a cessation of hostilities, and resume talks with the Federal Government, after months of attacks on the country’s oil and gas infrastructure.

The group has however reneged, as it maintained that it was calling off the ceasefire agreement it had with the Federal Government to halt the bombing of oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta region.

The group’s spokesperson ‘Maj. Gen.’ Murdoch Agbinibo, in a statement said that what prompted their action was the fact that the Government, at the centre had failed to develop the region and forge a new vision, as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“It was apparent that all the promises made by the federal government to develop the long neglected region were just mere rhetoric.”

“It is obvious that the Federal Government is taking us for granted as nothing tangible has been done in the Niger Delta in terms of development despite promises made by the Federal Government while funds realized from sales of crude oil was being used to rebuild the North East destroyed by the senseless Book Haram terrorist while our region remains undeveloped”.

Agbinibo complained that the people suffer from neglect, pollution and environmental degradation caused by activities of multinational oil companies due to oil exploration and exploitation.

“How can the Federal Government be so wicked to treat some regions with levity, deprive them of their legitimate rights and benefits, while others receive attention at the expense of those producing the bulk of the nation’s wealth?”

The group denounced Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, which named some elders from the region to negotiate on their behalf, maintaining that the RNDA was bent on tearing the Niger Delta people apart.

“The elders of the Niger Delta, PANDEF, we warned you against the antics of the Nigerian Government, yet you requested a chance to broker a new vision for our people”.

The statement noted that the NDA, out of respect for elders from the Region, adhered to the call to stop their strike actions. It added that the group have since lost faith in Tompolo and PANDEF and have vowed never to heed any such retrogressive call or advice from them in the future.

“Message to the Oil Companies; Our next line of operation will not be like the 2016 campaign which we operate successfully without any casualties; this outing will be brutish, brutal and bloody, as we are shall crush everything we meet on our path to completely put off the fires that burn to flair gas in our communities and cut every pipe that moves crude away from our region. We can assure you that every oil installation in our region will feel warmth of the wrath of the Niger Delta Avengers”.

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