Ayade to grant amnesty to repentant militants in C/River

CROSS River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade has appealed to militants and holders of small arms in the state to voluntarily surrender them as Government is poised to offer them a viable alternative means of livelihood.

Ayade made the appeal at the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapon formal launch of the ECOWAS–EU Small Arms Project and Community Engagement in the State, held at the Transcorp Hotels, Calabar.

Represented by his deputy, Professor Ivara Esu, he maintained that the committee was to negotiate with groups of militants, cultists, armed robbers, kidnappers, individuals and communities over an alternative means of livelihood.

Ayade, however, appealed to the youths not to subject themselves to a life in the creeks that has no value but sufferings and fear, enjoining traditional rulers and sponsors to refrain from instigating communal crisis resulting in loss of lives and property.

He admonished the people of the State to embrace the peace that the State is noted for and the opportunity provided for the formal launching of the ECOWAS-European Union Small Arms disarmament project in the State while pledging Government’s logistics and financial support towards the success of the project.

The Chairman, Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapon (PRESCOM), Ambassador Emmanuel Imohe explained that the formal launching of Small Arms and Community Engagement in the State is a milestone in the quest to partner the Cross River State Government to initiate and implement the disarmament project at the State level.

Ambassador Imohe stated that the ECOWAS-European Union Small Arms Project is an initiative of the ECOWAS commission seeking to encourage Civilian disarmament at community level and to provide an alternative livelihood as well as micro-project to individuals who voluntarily surrender their arms under this initiative and the communities from which weapons will be discovered.

The Chairman disclosed that the proliferation of Small Arms is a global challenge accounting for over five hundred thousand deaths annually, translating to one life being lost every minute across the world.

In their remarks, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representatives, Mrs. Enobong Momah and Mr. Fred Ampia, said the effect of Small Arms proliferation in communities will lead to Armed Robbery, cultism, kidnapping and incessant killings.

They called on the people of the State to embrace peace and refrain from conflicts that will deter human development.

Highpoint of the event was the inspection and handing over of the Arms management and destruction of mobile armory by the PRESCOM Chairman to the State Government.