FOLLOWING the graduation of 20,192 ex-militants and the completion of the first phase of the amnesty non-violence training programme, President Goodluck Jonathan has declared the Niger Delta region the safest for investors while he vowed to stamp out insecurity in the country.
At the passing out of the Batch 17 ex-militants, the president said that, "owing to the faithful implementation of the post-amnesty DDR programme, the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has become safer as an investors haven.
"From the abysmally low crude oil production of 800,000 barrels per day, Nigeria now produces between 2.3 to 2.6 million bpd.
"Following the success of the amnesty proclamation, peace was restored and the operating clime became conducive for economic activities.
"Given the prevailing peaceful conditions in the Niger Delta, the Federal Government has intensified work on several coastal roads, particularly the every strategic East-West Road."
The president, who was represented by the Minister of State of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Hajia Zanab Ibrahim Kuchi, reiterated that insecurity in any part of the country affects sustainable development in every other part of the country.
"This government is determined and poised to stamp out insecurity in all parts of the country," he said.
"It is when we live in peace as a great and united nation that we can feed our teeming people, tackle unemployment and confront head-on infrastructural challenges.
"We shall not relent until every part of Nigeria is rid of restiveness and other challenges of insecurity."
President Jonathan said he was aware that following the completion of the former militants' non-violence training and career classification in the camp, the amnesty office had successfully placed a total of 4,149 former combatants in skills acquisition/training centres as well as in formal education both in the country and offshore, while another 5,618 were being processed for placement in reintegration centres.
Also at the graduation ceremony, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku disclosed that the amnesty programme had achieved 80 per cent.
"This is the only DDR programme that is solely funded by the country itself," he said, adding, "this is Nigerian-made amnesty. The international community has not supported us financially and the UK in particular has refused to give visas to our trainees."
He pleaded with the international community to give support to the programme because crisis in Nigeria is crisis in the world.
"We need absolute support for this programme. The president is giving us adequate funding and it is 100 per cent. I charge the ex-militants to be disciplined and orderly as they embark on further training in the country and other parts of the world," he said.
Kuku, however, acknowledged some cases of indiscipline and trainees not knowing the actual course to do.
"We would not take this kind of thing any longer," he warned. "Now, the ex-militants have just one month to change course if need be. We cannot afford to do anything not order."
The National Chairman of Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN), Mr. Allen Onyema, described the programme as fantastic, stressing that, "we thank God for a job well done."
"This has been the most successful demobilization programme in the whole world. It was not all that rosy from the start.
"There were fears that the UN was not involved and there was a lot of scepticism, but we were able to show the world that what we could do can compete favourably with any other part of the word.
"Till date, no single shot has been fired in the camp. All 20,192 of the ex-militants have laid down arms and gone through the non-violence stage.
"Tomorrow, we will be going to South Africa to witness the first solo flights of five boys who have passed through this programme. We are very proud of this programme."
The Guardian
Declaring is not enough. Nigerians need action!
Our Government is only having mouth to run and nothing more.This is a no action government.I don't believe whatever they are saying anymore.