Perish thought of scrapping Presidential Amnesty Programme, Clark tells FG

Elder statesman and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has warned the Federal Government to perish the thought of scrapping the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for repentant militants.

Clark gave the warning following reports that the Federal Government might discontinue PAP by December 2020 on the recommendation of a four-man investigative panel headed by Amb. A. A. Lawal through the office of the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Mohammed Monguno (rtd).

“I say this because, just yesterday, rumours were rife that the four-man investigative panel headed by Amb. A. A. Lawal, set up by the Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Mohammed Monguno (rtd), to look into the activities of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), has recommended the scrapping of the Programme by December this year, 2020.

“If this is true, it will be an epic example of what we say in local parlance ‘trouble dey sleep, yanga go wake am’.

“This is not a threat; it is stating the obvious of what will actually happen.

“When I got this information yesterday, my temper was high because how can a region, which contributes so much to the economic growth, and by extension, political and social growth of the country, be treated with so much disdain and spite?” he queried.

The convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), handed the warning on Monday in a live press conference via Zoom with journalists across the country.

Clark further warned that scrapping the programme could ignite a fresh crisis in the already tensed region, appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration not to “wake a sleeping lion.”

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The former Minister of Information warned of the consequences of discontinuing the programme which, he said, has been checkmating insecurity and restiveness in the region.

The nonagenarian recollected that “Just about 11 days ago, I held a Press Briefing advising and cautioning the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to tread cautiously on Niger Delta Affairs.

“I have cause to, again, advise the Federal Government to desist from anything that will truncate the fragile peace that we have in the Niger Delta region.”

The Ijaw leader, therefore, appealed to President Buhari to ensure the continuity of the amnesty programme in the interest of fostering peace in the region.

According to the elder statesman, the current parlous state of the region calls for caution, frowning at such hasty decision without a visit to the region by the panel.

“The question is, did Amb. Lawal and his team ever travel to the Niger Delta region to find out if the objective of setting up the Programme such as infrastructural development of sand filling; building low-cost houses, building roads, etc, which are to be carried out by the PAP as its Second Phase activities contained in the Proclamation, been achieved?

“As someone outside of the region, does he really understand or feel the sufferings of the people of the region?

“Also, what measures have been put in place by the Federal Government to fulfil its promises to the region such as setting up modular refineries, the relocation of the operational headquarters of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the Ogoni Clean-Up as contained in the 16-Point Agenda of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) which we presented to Mr President at the Presidential Villa on 1st November 2017?

“Our living condition in the region has worsened. The PAP should be allowed to continue for some more time,” he admonished.

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