Chief Kingsley Muturu is the Delta State chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Phase 2. Muturu, a peace ambassador, speaks with EBENEZER ADUROKIYA on the inability of Niger Deltans to control the crude oil deposits in their environment just as the people of Zamfara State who have taken charge of the gold in their domain, among other issues.
As an ex-agitator and a beneficiary, what is the current state of the amnesty programme?
I think, so far, the programme is progressing and there is a lot to be done for the actualisation of its blueprint. Training for ex-agitators are still ongoing and we hope it will be successfully executed.
But there are issues, which include litigation and misunderstandings among beneficiaries. What is really going on?
Yes, there are issues we, beneficiaries, must settle among ourselves for smooth running of the programme. Also, the leaders of the three phases have roles to play in addressing the issues. I implore the leaders of the phase one to reason together and settle lingering internal issues between beneficiaries and the President Amnesty Programme (PAP) office, ranging from legal tussles to customary disagreements.
It is time for us to meet as a people with one goal, settle the differences among us and the PAP office to enable us to achieve our goal of accepting amnesty from the Federal Government. We, leaders in phase two, will always recognise those in phase one as our leaders. We should not allow internal wrangling to slow down the pace of progress made so far in the programme, as we have a lot of beneficiaries, who graduated through the programme.
So, I appeal to phase one leaders to swallow whatever anger that might have been stirred up from the PAP office and put heads together to move to the next level because this programme is meant for us. We want the phase one leaders, Tompolo, Ateke, Boyloaf, Ogunboss, Africa, Shoot-At-Sight and others to lead in this all beneficial task of peace and unity among us.
What role is the leadership of PAP expected to play in these lingering issues?
A lot is expected from the office. I urge retired Colonel Milland Dixion Dikio to look into the issues that are bringing up these court cases among the beneficiaries and between them and the office; this is because they›re within our ambit to settle amicably.
He should look into the issue of deployment of students to various schools, as most students are deployed to mushroom institutions while paying huge amounts of school fees. Dikio should please help check the process of deployment of students.
However, the decision of the PAP office to ensure employment of beneficiaries in the organisations that trained them is highly welcomed by ex-agitators; we wholeheartedly support this idea.
How do you see the training processes for beneficiaries?
I want to say something about the so-called vocational training. I advise that the vocational training programme for beneficiaries be stopped because it is totally a scam and I have evidence to prove. Those allegedly trained on welding, building materials and other skills are all scams.
If they really trained any beneficiary on vocational training, then let those in charge of such training make themselves available and point out anyone with welding equipment or building materials store.
Dikio has just come on board and I would like him to find out some hidden truth about the programme. I saw some of these businessmen coming to our villages with cameras, taking photo shots of stores belonging to others as evidence of their vocational training business.
I also want to advise Dikio not to set up any committee in any guise in the PAP office, because it is a waste of resources. More so, such a committee will give him a headache at the end of the day.
What is your position on Dikio›s leadership of PAP?
As a security personnel, Dikio should endeavour to visit his people in the creeks and communities in Niger Delta as a bona fide son of the soil. I believe such a move would build rapport with beneficiaries. With this disposition, trust will be guaranteed and peace in the region.
Moreover, I want to suggest that Dikio should initiate the process of setting up PAP offices in each state in the Niger Delta, because such would not only ease administration but also foster harmony and progress. It will also be a source of employment for youths in the region.
I had made my decision to do what is right for our people long ago; I want all beneficiaries to be properly trained with gainful employment, and that›s my stance. I don›t have any contractual business with the amnesty office.
What is your assessment of infrastructural development in the Niger Delta since the granting of amnesty to militants in 2009?
As far as ex-agitators are concerned, the development and well-being of Niger Delta and her people are sacrosanct. The present situation of the region is an eyesore after these years of peace, which was an excuse for its underdevelopment. Some people are heaping all the blames on the Federal Government, which is not right. It is apparent that leaders of Niger Delta contributed immensely to the underdevelopment of the region.
By this time, sea piracy, kidnapping and related vices ought to have been minimal in our region with developmental activities, but the reverse is the case despite the huge mineral resources, presence of oil companies and the reigning peace in the region.
I want to use this medium to advise youths of the region to be cautious in their services to their so-called leaders who use and dump them, making them a nuisance to the society. The attitude of some youths being ready to die for their so-called leaders for whatever reason, doing every bidding, must stop if we must take our rightful place as leaders of the future.
I urge the Niger Delta youths to continue to maintain the existing peace in the region, and those indulging in the business of kidnapping, sea piracy and related vices should desist because there is hope for Niger Delta youths.
What is your message to the Federal Government?
The Federal Government should do the needful as regards Niger Delta, and I call on President Muhammadu Buhari to brace up the move to establish modular refineries in Niger Delta. Thwarting and frustrating efforts made to use local technology to refine the crude that we often import into the country is self-contradictory.
It is vexatious to see gold in Zamfara State being controlled by the people of Zamfara, while the crude oil in Niger Delta cannot be controlled by the states. How fair is it that we cannot control the oil in our region? It is my candid appeal to the presidency to ratify the move to establish these modular refineries because it is a source of economic growth, not only in Niger Delta, but also to the nation at large.
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