By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo
Leader of ex-militants in Akwa Ibom and self-styled General, Nico Sintei has warned against scrapping the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP saying this could force the beneficiaries to return to the creeks.
Sintei who gave the warning yesterday in Uyo, while reacting to the alleged plan to scrap the amnesty programme, explained that majority of the beneficiaries of the programme don’t have any other source of income besides the sixty-five thousand (N65,000,00) naira monthly allowance.
He stressed that any right thinking Nigerian who appreciates the peace, unity and progress of the country would not wish for the only laudable programme that solved the problem of militancy and attacks on oil installations in the region to be scrapped.
He wondered why the issue of the Niger Delta amnesty programme should be a cause for concern to the Nigeria government instead of focusing on how to put an end to the worsening security situation in the country.
“The Federal government should not tamper with the Amnesty Programme if it really want to continue to enjoy the oil production from the region. The programme is the only thing that has sustained the peace in the Niger Delta region, it helped to stop militancy and youth restiveness in the region, and attack on oil installations.
“Why is that the paltry N65,000 allowance few youths from the region that lays the golden egg are receiving from the programme has become a problem? And as far as I am concerned It was the best thing that late President Yar’Adua did for Nigeria. Other solutions failed but PAP worked.
‘Let them understand that the amnesty programme can only stop when they stopped drilling oil from this region; the day we stop feeding this country. We were not told that the programme has expiry date, so it cannot be scrapped. Therefore I advise that they should let sleeping dogs lie.” Sintei explained.
He said that those against the continuation of the programme do not like the existing peace in the Nigerian Delta and do not have good intentions for the continuous peace and corporate existence of Nigeria.
“The federal government should understand that those advising it to scrap the programme do not like the existing peace in the Niger Delta region, they don’t mean well for Nigeria.
“I am not saying these things because I am a beneficiary of the programme. But as a leader of ex-agitators in Akwa Ibom I am saying that if they scrap the programme what do they are simply asking them to go back to militancy or the creeks. And you can imagine what the consequences will be.
” Today Boko Haram insurgents, bandits are killing innocent citizens, in Kaduna, all over the country, and the government has not done anything to put an end it, they are looking for how to stop Amnesty programme and add more problems into the system.” He said.
He lamented the lack of basic social amenities in the region describing as the highest sense of insensitivity the neglect of communities with oil fields in the region.
“In those areas that we have oil fields, people the same water people use in bathing is what they drink from, because of no portable water. So I felt provoked when I read that there is a plot to scrap PAP. what are their reasons?
Why have they not been able to put an end to the insecurity in the country?, He questioned
