'Gen' Ekpebide urges FG to create Niger Delta Amnesty board

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(Nigeria) Delta State Chairman of phase III of the Amnesty Programme, 'Gen' Preye Ekpebide has urged President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government to create Niger Delta Amnesty Board, NDAB that will be saddle with the responsibility of effectively monitoring and supervising the affairs of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for Niger Delta ex-militants.
Ekpebide, who briefed newsmen in Warri, Delta State queried the idea of a single individual officiating over the affairs of the programme, reiterating that for the programme to fully realised its goal, there must be a team of e-militants managers drawn from the Niger Delta states to mediate and liaise with the ex-agitators in their respective states.
He said, “ If the Federal Government must avoid future pitfall like what happened during Brig. Gen Paul Boroh (retd), when the programme was hijacked by family members and cronies, then it became imperative for a board to be set up.
“ We also called on President Buhari as matter of importance relocate the Amnesty Office to any core Niger Delta state as the issues that are supposed to be addressed and tackled by the Amnesty Office are usually delayed until the Amnesty boss comes from Abuja.
"We cannot have Amnesty Office where we cannot access it within the shortest possible time. How can we be traveling to Northern Nigeria to discuss issues affecting our wellbeing in a strange land?
“ We advised Prof. Charles Dokubo to learn from Boroh's mistake and do the needful because the ex-militants have suffered untold hardship, where their training allowances, house allowances are not paid to date.
“ Rather than engaging the ex-agitators meaningfully, the programme was used to settle family members, associate and cronies. We urge President Buhari to involve leaders of ex-agitators in the planning of the annual amnesty budget and execution.”


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