The Nigerian Diaspora Professionals Forum (NDPF) has
commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his ‘determined effort’ to sustain the
amnesty program to improve security and stability in the Niger Delta.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the
Vice President of the organisation Dr. Abdalla Hussein who was part of a
fact-finding mission to the Niger Delta, stated that there was remarkable
improvement in peace in the region.
“We came on a verification mission in Niger Delta to see
things for ourselves. We saw development challenges, but we were glad to note
that in the past four years one hardly hears about the destruction of oil
installation and organised confrontation and conflict in this region.
“We have visited the nine states in the region, and we shall
be heading to Abuja later today. We want to learn more about the development
challenges in the region, the amnesty programme and how the Buhari
administration has managed to sustain peace so far.
“It is clear to all stakeholders that we need peace for
investment and development” he added.
A member of the delegation, Mr. Abiye Davies corroborated
that the group visited several vocational training centres built by the Amnesty
Programme in various locations in Edo,
Delta, and Rivers State.
According to him “the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme has
achieved so much and has become an important example that many resource rich
African countries can learn from.
“With the implementation of the program now in the
Integration phase, the ex-agitators who were formerly involved in conflict have
become gainfully employed and can now go back into society as responsible
citizens.
It will be recalled that earlier in the year, the former
Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
Dr. Maikanti Baru confirmed an increase in the country’s oil production to 2.32
million barrels per day.
The news comes as a big boost to the government’s revenue
projection as contained in the N8.92 trillion 2019 budget.
The group stressed that the major reason for the boost was
that most of the ex-agitators were absorbed in the amnesty program.
They also attributed the successes to the leadership of the
programme led by Charles Dokubo, a former research Professor at Nigeria
Institute of International Studies.
They thanked Buhari for appointing him and bringing about
more transparency in and confidence of stakeholders. (NAN)
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