Samuel Oyadongha
30 September, 2011, Sweetcrude, Yenagoa-A group of aggrieved ex militants in Bayelsa State have warned that they might be forced to relocate to the creeks and launch a campaign of sabotage against the nation economic interest if the federal government fails to look into their demand to be included in the amnesty programme.
Though the federal government through the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chief Executive of the Amnesty Programme had declared the amnesty window closed in the wake of the expiration of the presidential deadline.
But the aggrieved ex militants who last month barricaded the East West road in the protest over their non inclusion in the amnesty programme threatened to cripple the nation oil production should Mr. President fail to any make pronouncement on their demand.
The aggrieved ex militants under Third Phase Federal Amnesty Bayelsa State chapter in a statement signed by their chairman Kathy Sese and Tonye Bobo Secretary General lamenting the continued refusal of the federal government to include them in the amnesty programme said the development could erode the gains of the last two years given the army of frustrated youths in the region.
“We are worried that having complied with the submission of our arms, the Third Phase of the amnesty programme is yet to be implemented, thereby leaving us in the dark. We are waiting for President Goodluck Jonathan to address the nation on October 1, 2011 and if no pronouncement is made on the third phase of the federal government amnesty programme, we will have no choice but to reduce the crude production to the barest minimum,” they warned.
“We strongly believe that militancy has ended with offer of amnesty to repentant militants in the Niger Delta region but it appears that the government is forcing us back to the creeks,” the group further said.
