| Get our News Update fast, download AE Toolbar! Click here to download Now! |
| Online media |
| Newspapers |
Join or start a conversation!
Add your Comment
Note: comments posted on this site are moderated. Pls. avoid abusive and vulgar words
Add your Comment
Note: comments posted on this site are moderated. Pls. avoid abusive and vulgar words
THE GUARDIAN
THE STAR
THE PUNCH
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
TIMES OF ZAMBIA
THE SUN
DAILY GRAPHICS
THISDAY
MAIL & GUARDIAN
VANGUARD
D/INDEPENDENT
The nation
Daily trust
Ghana Times
THE STAR
THE PUNCH
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
TIMES OF ZAMBIA
THE SUN
DAILY GRAPHICS
THISDAY
MAIL & GUARDIAN
VANGUARD
D/INDEPENDENT
The nation
Daily trust
Ghana Times
Amnesty programme: a huge success
_________________________________________________________
Michael Jegede
Tuesday, Jan 08, 2013
Tuesday, Jan 08, 2013
| Copyrights © 2007 All Rights Reserved African Examiner Online is owned by RD Frontline LLC, a state of Maryland registered company P. O. Box 11582 Baltimore, Maryland, 21229, USA Tel: 443-904-1239. Editor-In-Chief: Oludare Sunday Fase |
___________________________________________________________________________________
| Other stories |
Home | Sports | Interview | Articles | Business | Letters | Social | Archives | Adverts | Entertainment | Contact us | About us | Terms | Blog
| ADVERTISEMENTS |
Need a CPR card or First
Aid certification?
Call Vivian Ngang (CPR Instructor,
Licensed Nurse) 1- 240-462-2607
Aid certification?
Call Vivian Ngang (CPR Instructor,
Licensed Nurse) 1- 240-462-2607
Contrary to the thinking in some quarters that the amnesty
programme for ex-Niger Delta militants is a total failure, I make bold
to say that the amnesty under the direct supervision of Kingsley
Kuku, Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, remains the most
successful programme ever run by the federal government.
I stand by my position in my previous piece on this matter that the
amnesty declaration remains the most genuine, valiant and
profound effort made by any federal government since the country’s
Independence to tackle the agitation for fairness, equity and
development in the oil-rich Niger Delta. It has, in my view, been the
most effective tool employed by any government in addressing
critical national issue.
Of recent, I have read several write-ups, where different kinds of
unsubstantiated allegations of fund mismanagement were made
against the leadership of the Niger Delta Amnesty Office. Some
have even suggested that the programme should be brought to an
end on the ground that Kuku and his team are only enriching
themselves from the fund meant for the amnesty, arguing that there
is nothing to show for the allocations they have received since
inception.
Well, I do know that many discerning and perceptive Nigerians
would agree with me that such argument is obviously illogical and
therefore cannot hold water because the gains of the amnesty
programme are there for everyone to see. Anybody who says that
the funds meant for the amnesty programme have not been
judiciously applied, may have deliberately blindfolded himself such
that he cannot see the progress being made by the introduction of
the programme.
Like I pointed out in my last publication, even though there were
doubts at the incipient stage as to whether it was going to yield any
fruitful upshot, today, the amnesty programme ably and adeptly
coordinated by Hon. Kingsley Kuku, has made significant impact in
the restoration of peace in the Niger Delta, a region that was
hitherto known to be the seal of violence and massive destruction
with the activities of the ex-agitators. I had equally pointed out that it
is for the reason of the huge success recorded by the programme
that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua despite his death has
continued to receive accolades from most Nigerians for considering
the option of amnesty in the long search for peace in the area.
Goodluck Jonathan the then Vice President and now President, has
likewise received commendation and applause for deeming it fit to
ensure the sustenance of the programme.
Upon completion of their oversight/inspection visit in September
2012 to the Afrika Union Aviation Academy in Mafikeng and the
Flight Training Services in Midrand, South Africa, where 53 Niger
Delta youths were being trained as pilots, members of the Senate
and House Committees on Niger Delta commended the Presidential
Amnesty office for what they termed the judicious utilisation of funds
meant for the programme.
Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator
Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, who led the delegation, expressed
satisfaction that the programme is being properly implemented.
Speaking on behalf of the team, he said: “We came here to assess
how deep the amnesty programme is. We all know what brought
about this programme because Nigeria decided to address a
fundamental injustice to a section of the country. From what we
have seen and experienced during our interaction with the trainees,
I can tell Nigerians that the amnesty programme gives us hope and
we are very proud of these youths. The funds allocated to the
programme are being judiciously used and we will continue to
support and expand its scope.” He described the young pilots as
the future of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
Adding to the voice of Abatemi-Usman, Chairman of House
Committee on Niger Delta, Hon. Warman Ogoriba, applauded Kuku
for succeeding in dismissing the pessimism that Nigerians had
towards the programme when it was introduced in 2009. Ogoriba
said: “When amnesty was granted, most Nigerians thought nothing
good will come out of it. But now the story is different. Our youths
are being trained all over the world in critical sectors. We are very
impressed and my advice to these young Nigerians is to continue to
be good ambassadors of our country.”
The National Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in
Nigeria (FEHN), Allen Onyema, is also one of many insightful
Nigerians, who clearly agree that the Amnesty Programme for ex-
militants in the Niger Delta has been a monumental feat. Onyema
while speaking to newsmen noted that the programme is celebrated
the world over, as the international community seems to be
bemused as to how Nigeria was able to get it right from the stage of
disarmament, through demobilization to re-integration.
According to the FEHN boss, the level of crude oil production prior
to the programme was about 700,000 barrels a day, but since the
commencement of the programme, the level of production has risen
to over 2.6 million barrels per day. He went further to say that the
success of the programme should not be measured by the increase
in the level of production alone but also be viewed at the level of
lives that are being changed and touched by the programme. In his
words, “People who were condemned as useless are now trained as
pilots, technicians, lawyers, nurses etc.” Just like I had advocated in
my earlier article that more funds be allocated to the amnesty office
due to the large number of people involved, Onyema called on the
federal government to increase the funding for the programme.
Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, a Senior Advocate of
Nigeria (SAN), had in an interview noted that it was completely out
of place for some Nigerians to be calling for the closure of the
amnesty programme for now. On the argument that too much
money is being spent on the programme, the three-term Senator
said: “let us look at the other side of it. What was the country losing
when we have militancy? It is easy to do a cost benefit analysis. If
what we were losing is far in excess of what it cost us to get peace,
then, I think the amnesty programme is justifiable.”
We must continue to encourage the amnesty office under the
dynamic leadership of Kuku, to build on the successes recorded so
far in the running of the amnesty programme, which involves 30,000
Niger Delta youths. The young man has, no doubt, demonstrated
great sterling leadership qualities, as seen in his proper
coordination of the affairs of the amnesty office, which can be said
to be largely responsible for the meaningful inroads made in the
amnesty drive. For a programme that has been saving about N34
billion per day for the country, it is only appropriate that we all
support it to further stabilize our economy.
Michael Jegede, a media expert wrote in from Abuja
programme for ex-Niger Delta militants is a total failure, I make bold
to say that the amnesty under the direct supervision of Kingsley
Kuku, Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, remains the most
successful programme ever run by the federal government.
I stand by my position in my previous piece on this matter that the
amnesty declaration remains the most genuine, valiant and
profound effort made by any federal government since the country’s
Independence to tackle the agitation for fairness, equity and
development in the oil-rich Niger Delta. It has, in my view, been the
most effective tool employed by any government in addressing
critical national issue.
Of recent, I have read several write-ups, where different kinds of
unsubstantiated allegations of fund mismanagement were made
against the leadership of the Niger Delta Amnesty Office. Some
have even suggested that the programme should be brought to an
end on the ground that Kuku and his team are only enriching
themselves from the fund meant for the amnesty, arguing that there
is nothing to show for the allocations they have received since
inception.
Well, I do know that many discerning and perceptive Nigerians
would agree with me that such argument is obviously illogical and
therefore cannot hold water because the gains of the amnesty
programme are there for everyone to see. Anybody who says that
the funds meant for the amnesty programme have not been
judiciously applied, may have deliberately blindfolded himself such
that he cannot see the progress being made by the introduction of
the programme.
Like I pointed out in my last publication, even though there were
doubts at the incipient stage as to whether it was going to yield any
fruitful upshot, today, the amnesty programme ably and adeptly
coordinated by Hon. Kingsley Kuku, has made significant impact in
the restoration of peace in the Niger Delta, a region that was
hitherto known to be the seal of violence and massive destruction
with the activities of the ex-agitators. I had equally pointed out that it
is for the reason of the huge success recorded by the programme
that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua despite his death has
continued to receive accolades from most Nigerians for considering
the option of amnesty in the long search for peace in the area.
Goodluck Jonathan the then Vice President and now President, has
likewise received commendation and applause for deeming it fit to
ensure the sustenance of the programme.
Upon completion of their oversight/inspection visit in September
2012 to the Afrika Union Aviation Academy in Mafikeng and the
Flight Training Services in Midrand, South Africa, where 53 Niger
Delta youths were being trained as pilots, members of the Senate
and House Committees on Niger Delta commended the Presidential
Amnesty office for what they termed the judicious utilisation of funds
meant for the programme.
Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator
Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, who led the delegation, expressed
satisfaction that the programme is being properly implemented.
Speaking on behalf of the team, he said: “We came here to assess
how deep the amnesty programme is. We all know what brought
about this programme because Nigeria decided to address a
fundamental injustice to a section of the country. From what we
have seen and experienced during our interaction with the trainees,
I can tell Nigerians that the amnesty programme gives us hope and
we are very proud of these youths. The funds allocated to the
programme are being judiciously used and we will continue to
support and expand its scope.” He described the young pilots as
the future of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
Adding to the voice of Abatemi-Usman, Chairman of House
Committee on Niger Delta, Hon. Warman Ogoriba, applauded Kuku
for succeeding in dismissing the pessimism that Nigerians had
towards the programme when it was introduced in 2009. Ogoriba
said: “When amnesty was granted, most Nigerians thought nothing
good will come out of it. But now the story is different. Our youths
are being trained all over the world in critical sectors. We are very
impressed and my advice to these young Nigerians is to continue to
be good ambassadors of our country.”
The National Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in
Nigeria (FEHN), Allen Onyema, is also one of many insightful
Nigerians, who clearly agree that the Amnesty Programme for ex-
militants in the Niger Delta has been a monumental feat. Onyema
while speaking to newsmen noted that the programme is celebrated
the world over, as the international community seems to be
bemused as to how Nigeria was able to get it right from the stage of
disarmament, through demobilization to re-integration.
According to the FEHN boss, the level of crude oil production prior
to the programme was about 700,000 barrels a day, but since the
commencement of the programme, the level of production has risen
to over 2.6 million barrels per day. He went further to say that the
success of the programme should not be measured by the increase
in the level of production alone but also be viewed at the level of
lives that are being changed and touched by the programme. In his
words, “People who were condemned as useless are now trained as
pilots, technicians, lawyers, nurses etc.” Just like I had advocated in
my earlier article that more funds be allocated to the amnesty office
due to the large number of people involved, Onyema called on the
federal government to increase the funding for the programme.
Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, a Senior Advocate of
Nigeria (SAN), had in an interview noted that it was completely out
of place for some Nigerians to be calling for the closure of the
amnesty programme for now. On the argument that too much
money is being spent on the programme, the three-term Senator
said: “let us look at the other side of it. What was the country losing
when we have militancy? It is easy to do a cost benefit analysis. If
what we were losing is far in excess of what it cost us to get peace,
then, I think the amnesty programme is justifiable.”
We must continue to encourage the amnesty office under the
dynamic leadership of Kuku, to build on the successes recorded so
far in the running of the amnesty programme, which involves 30,000
Niger Delta youths. The young man has, no doubt, demonstrated
great sterling leadership qualities, as seen in his proper
coordination of the affairs of the amnesty office, which can be said
to be largely responsible for the meaningful inroads made in the
amnesty drive. For a programme that has been saving about N34
billion per day for the country, it is only appropriate that we all
support it to further stabilize our economy.
Michael Jegede, a media expert wrote in from Abuja
| ...news focus on NIGERIA |
New Islamist group in
North Ansaru
responsible for
French man Kidnap
African Examiner
Monday, Dec 24, 2012
North Ansaru
responsible for
French man Kidnap
African Examiner
Monday, Dec 24, 2012
Bloody Christmas:
Boko Haram Kills 6 in
Yobe Church
African Examiner
Wednesday, Dec 26, 2012
Gunmen Kidnap 4
Italians off Nigeria’s
Niger-Delta Coast
African Examiner
Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012
River state proposes
N490.3 billion for 2013
African Examiner
Wednesday, Dec 26, 2012
Gov. Imoke of Cross
River Recuperating in U.
S after procedure
African Examiner
Friday, Dec 21, 2012
Boko Haram Kills 6 in
Yobe Church
African Examiner
Wednesday, Dec 26, 2012
Gunmen Kidnap 4
Italians off Nigeria’s
Niger-Delta Coast
African Examiner
Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012
River state proposes
N490.3 billion for 2013
African Examiner
Wednesday, Dec 26, 2012
Gov. Imoke of Cross
River Recuperating in U.
S after procedure
African Examiner
Friday, Dec 21, 2012
Heroes Park Now
burial site for Heroes
of Bayelsa -Gov.
Dickson
African Examiner
Friday, Dec 28, 2012
Ex-NSA Late Gen.
Aziza to be buried
Saturday
African Examiner
Thursday, Dec 27, 2012
One killed at Lagos
fireworks explosion
African Examiner
Thursday, Dec 27, 2012
burial site for Heroes
of Bayelsa -Gov.
Dickson
African Examiner
Friday, Dec 28, 2012
Ex-NSA Late Gen.
Aziza to be buried
Saturday
African Examiner
Thursday, Dec 27, 2012
One killed at Lagos
fireworks explosion
African Examiner
Thursday, Dec 27, 2012
Nigerian Tertiary
Education In
perspective: Can
2013 provide glimmer
of hope?
African Examiner
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Soldiers kill 5
gunmen, destroys
Boko Haram bomb
factory in Kaduna
African Examiner
Friday, Dec 28, 2012
Education In
perspective: Can
2013 provide glimmer
of hope?
African Examiner
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Soldiers kill 5
gunmen, destroys
Boko Haram bomb
factory in Kaduna
African Examiner
Friday, Dec 28, 2012
Nigerian journalists
freed, but equipment
still held –CPJ
African Examiner
Thursday Jan. 03, 2013
freed, but equipment
still held –CPJ
African Examiner
Thursday Jan. 03, 2013
N6.46bn: EFCC seizes
ex-Gov. Slyva’s 48
properties
African Examiner
Friday, Jan 04, 2013
ex-Gov. Slyva’s 48
properties
African Examiner
Friday, Jan 04, 2013
FG committed to
reduction of maternal
and infant mortality
African Examiner
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Gov Dickson Signs
Emergency Agency
bill, others into law
African Examiner
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
New Year: Jonathan
reiterates
commitment to FG’s
transformation
Agenda
African Examiner
Tuesday, January 01, 2013