AMNESTY: AGGRIEVED EX-MILITANTS PLAN SHOWDOWN WITH FG
Aggrieved ex-militants in the Niger Delta are preparing for a show- down with the Federal Government over its decision to commence the third phase of the amnesty programme.
The coordinator of the programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku had recently declared that those nursing the hope of a third phase of the amnesty programme should forget about it as the Federal Government had shut the door on amnesty.
But the aggrieved ex-militants expressed shock over the disclosure and immediately initiated discussions with some Ijaw leaders to intervene before the matter gets out of hand.
Some of the affected ex-militants from Bayelsa said it was hard for them to believe Kuku's statement after they had surrendered their arms to the Joint Military Task (JTF). In an interview in Yenagoa, the leadership of the group led by its Chairman, Julius Joseph, Secretary, Angamawei Richman, spokesman Festus Joshua and General Oyile frowned at what it described as the deceitful nature of the Federal Government by accepting their arms and refusing to include them in the amnesty programme.
Joseph who disclosed that an enlarged meeting of ex-militants from Delta, Rivers, Ondo affected by the decision, would be convened in Yenagoa, pleaded with President Goodluck Jonathan to sustain the peace in the region by directing that the third phase should commence. They said some of their members were ready to commence new and vicious attacks on oil installations in the region, imploring the Federal Government not to disrupt the already existing peace.
The aggrieved ex-militants stated that all their efforts to reach out to former governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, , Ijaw leader, Edwin Clarke and some governors in the region for them to intervene in the matter proved abortive.
They said they had tried their best, adding that 'but the Amnesty Committee is daring us and we will meet with other state chapter leaders and fix dates for provocative action.'
General Oyile who expressed bitterness at the way the ex-militants were being deceived after surrendering arms, said the Federal Government should be ready for action if eventually it stuck to its guns to not allow a third phase of the amnesty programme. He cautioned the Federal Government against the use of ex-militant leaders to intervene against any planned action because it would fail.
'We have lobbied enough and are ready for action. Forget what Boko Haram is doing. We will not kill innocent people but will declare a tactical war that will cripple the resources they depend on.
'Those people you hear their names know us as soldiers and our capability. If the Federal Government wants the peace in the region, we will ensure the peace. But if they don't, we are ready to destroy all the oil installations in the region. This is not for Bayelsa alone and we are speaking with one voice. We are still waiting for words from the Ijaw Leaders we have pleaded with to intervene in our matter. But if we didn't hear good words from them, the Federal Government, the Niger Delta and the Nigeria will lose sleep' he said.