By Francis Sadhere
A Non Governmental Organization, Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint credible persons from the oil rich Niger Delta region to head the Niger Delta Ministry and Amnesty Program so as to give hope to the people of the region.
The Center made this call yesterday, in a press statement signed by its National Coordnator/CEO, Comrade Sheriff Mulade and made available to newsmen in Warri.
CEPEJ stated that it was aware of intense pressure being mounted on the President by vested interests to appoint their “candidates” into the two offices, stressing that he should not succumb to such overtures.
According to the statment: “CEPEJ believes that, appointing grassroots persons to man the amnesty office and the ministry would bring the much needed impact and dividends to the communities, but if such positions are given to ex-militants and political jobbers as political patronage, it may provoke others to take on arms.”
The center said it believed that appointing a thoroughbred to oversee the affairs of the amnesty office will go a long way to reshaping the programme and making it more result-oriented.
“The amnesty programme is a Greek gift, so CEPEJ advises President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle head on the fundamental issues of deprivation in the region as the only way to engender ending peace in the region.
“We canvass the adoption of strategic action plans for the massive development of the region, since the present efforts by the Niger Delta Ministry and Niger Delta Development Commission are nothing to write home about,” it stated further.
On the December deadline set by the federal government to phase out the programme, CEPEJ said it wanted the President to carefully study its modus operandi with a view to adopting effective and more pragmatic methods in discharging its functions.
It therefore suggested that ex-militants should be involved in mechanized farming, rather than dishing out stipends to them at end of every month without doing anything.
The center firther implored the federal government to create employment opportunities for those who are undergoing training in various fields under the programme to give them a sense of belonging.
