Port Harcourt – The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) said on Monday that it would partner the Presidential Amnesty Office to re-integrate over 30,000 ex-agitators in the Niger Delta.
The Acting Managing Director of the Commission, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, said this in Port Harcourt during the visit of the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd), to her office.
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Semenitari said that the move was to provide a template to assist the poor in rural communities and others affected by years of deprivation.
“The Niger Delta has suffered a lot of deprivation in the past but it should not allow the past challenges to continue to prevent it from moving ahead.
“Re-integration of former agitators in the society by the Amnesty Office is something that is welcomed by the commission and the region.
“The commission will work with the Amnesty Office in the reintegration programme, especially as it provides the commission the opportunity to further develop the region.”
Semenitari expressed optimism that re-integration of the ex-agitators would lead to peace and economic development of the region and benefit other regions of the country.
The NDDC boss urged the government to evolve solutions to end poverty and unemployment bedeviling the region and the country.
Earlier, Boroh said that re-integration of former agitators should be the responsibility of government, corporate organisations and individuals.
Boroh, who doubles as Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, said that 30,000 ex-agitators needed to be re-integrated into the society.
“The Amnesty Programme focuses on sustaining the peace which was realised on disarmament and demobilization of ex-agitators.
“The phase we are into now in the Amnesty Programme is re-integration, with which the office hopes to achieve sustainable integration of these people,” he said.
The amnesty coordinator called on corporate organisations and rich Nigerians to support the Federal Government to develop and engage youths in the Niger Delta region. (NAN)