Hon. Kingsley Kuku: Giant Strides of a Silent Archiver

The relative peace in the entire niger delta region, has undoubtedly been the result of the sustained and diligent implementation of the Federal Government's Amnesty Programme for former militant youths in the region. Hon KINGSLEY KEMEBRADIGHA KUKU, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Office will for ever be remmeberd by posterity for very ably steering the programme – refocusing the youth on constructive life, improving human safety in the region and boosting the economic fortunes of the nation. The Niger Delta Amnesty Programme which began as an off-shoot package of the presidential pardon granted to Niger Delta militants through a proclamation by then President Umaru Yar'Adua on 29 June 2009. The programme offered transformation training and skills acquisition opportunities for any militants who laid down their arms. The Presidential Amnesty Office chaired by the Special Adviser to the President on the Niger Delta was mandated to administer the disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration of the ex-militants, as a pre-condition for medium and long term development in the Niger Delta. Specifically, the Office was to groom the 26,365 ex-militants who accepted the offer of amnesty in 2009, to become key players in the emerging economies of the Niger Delta. Kuku (left) receiving Handing Over Notes from Timi Alaibe Kuku was appointed Special Adviser to the President and Chairman of the Amnesty Office on Niger Delta in January 2011 and formally took over from his predecessor, Chief Timi Alaibe, on 3 February 2011. Hon. Kuku immediately hit the ground running, completing the disarmament and demobilization processes, and forging ahead with the task of reintegration. On 25 May 2011, Kuku and his team achieved closure in the disarmament phase of the Programme. In collaboration with the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu, the Amnesty Office publicly destroyed the arms and ammunition that were submitted to the Federal Government by the ex-militants in 2009. The weapons destruction exercise which took place in Lokpanta, a boundary town between Enugu and Abia States, was carried out in conformity with the extant DDR codes as spelt out by the United Nations. Over the years, the Amnesty Office under Kuku's leadership made considerable progress in reintegrating the ex-militants. It refocused many of them towards becoming key players in the emerging economies of the Niger Delta. Equipped with new skills and knowledge, a growing number of these youths have now been empowered to work not only in the oil and gas sector, but also in the many new construction sites, town development projects, railway projects, agriculture and pipeline protection projects that are expectedly underway in the Niger Delta. However, the impact of Kuku's work has gone well beyond the primary mandate of his office, which was to refocus the ex-militants and reintegrate them with normal society. Perhaps the most critical indicator of its impact beyond that mandate is the improvement in public safety and security which it has brought to the Niger Delta. Prior to the programme, kidnapping and hostage taking targeting both expatriate and local workers, as well as sabotage and outright damage of oil and gas infrastructure, were rampant across the region. The sustained implementation of the Amnesty programme and the non-violence transformation of many former members of cults and gangs has had a calming effect on the region. The improved climate of public safety and security contributed significantly to curbing electoral violence in the region, in the run-up to the April 2011 polls. Peace in the Niger Delta is also creating an environment for revival of economic activities, return of foreign investment and improvement of economic security. By 2009, the conflict in the region had greatly eroded the confidence of both foreign and even local investors. But with the effective end of armed conflict and the progress in peacebuilding, that confidence has been greatly restored, and is now attracting new investment, particularly to the upstream sector of the nation's oil industry. The success recorded by the Amnesty Office in 2011 owes largely to a number of personal attributes which Kuku brought to the job. First, he is a true believer in the cause of the Niger Delta, having paid his dues at various points in the region's struggle for a better deal in the Nigerian nation. He therefore came to the office with a clear understanding of the tasks and challenges at hand. John Idumange, a Certified Business Analyst, and Fellow of the Institute of Public Management in Nigeria observes that: "He (Kuku) has been involved in the Niger Delta struggle and that has given him first class knowledge of the needs of youths in the region. Thus, in managing the process, he gets the youths emotionally involved to appreciate the essence of the programme and what they stand to gain when they painstakingly undergo the required training and acquire the requisite skills". Secondly, the Amnesty Chief is a good manager of men and other resources. "My verdict as a stakeholder and a social critic", says Idumange, "is that the Amnesty Chief is generously endowed with a team-building spirit, the right organizational skills, the passion and, above all, the right strategy". Idumange further notes that, in terms of timely decision making, Kuku is "not only alert, but consults widely before taking actions". Thirdly, those who have worked with Kuku, say he is a tireless workaholic who pays good attention to every aspect of the programme. Kuku is keenly involved in networking with training institutes across the world to identify those with appropriate and credible training programmes; and he keeps a close eye on everything from the processing of trainees to their studies and welfare. As the need arises, he visits them at various training centres, tracking their progress and ensuring that they remain focused on their goals. Fourthly, Kuku's success also owes to what a former colleague describes as the "high sense of discipline" and zero tolerance of shoddy work, which he brought to the office. Several incidents have repeatedly underscored these attributes. In seeking to maintain a high level of discipline in the programme, Kuku has had no reservations in showing the red card to any trainee who violates the Code of Conduct or abuses the opportunities offered by the amnesty programme. Thus, the common verdict is that judged strictly by the provisions of its mandate, the amnesty programme, under Kuku's leadership, had been one of the most successful conflict management and youth transformation programmes ever implemented in the history of Nigeria. Nwokedi Nworisara, a policy and media consultant based in Port Harcourt, observes that: "The success of the Kingsley Kuku-led Amnesty programme is just a pointer that this is actually the direction government should be going, if she is serious about ending youth unemployment and its inherent instability in the polity". The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo used to say that "The great man is not he who comes home to distribute bread, but the one who comes home to distribute hope". Kuku, by his dedicated service to building peace in the once-violent Niger Delta, offers us the hope that someday peace and progress will be possible in all other troubled parts of the Nigerian nation. Last modified on Monday, 28 May 2012 10:26

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY PROGRAMME DISCLAMER

  The Presidential Amnesty Office wishes to alert Nigerians about the activities of unscrupulous individuals trying to con undiscerning Niger Delta youths with a forged document now in circulation.   The Amnesty Office has discovered that the authors of the phony document, purportedly signed by both the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta/Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and its Legal Adviser, have used it to dupe unsuspecting Niger Delta youths under the guise of enlisting them in the ‘Third Phase’ of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme for former agitators in the Niger Delta (See attached letter).   It is necessary to clarify that the mandate of the Amnesty Office did not include disarming of repentant agitators and it did not participate in the process of their handing over of arms.   The disarming of former agitators was done under the supervision of the military and the security high command in the country. This ended since October 4, 2009, which was the deadline for the surrendering of arms by the repentant youths.   The Amnesty Office hereby distances itself from the conduct of such exercise as claimed in the fake document.   It also wishes to restate that it has not commenced a Third Phase of the Amnesty Programme as it has not received such directive from the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.   Security agencies have been notified about the circulation of the forged document and they have swung into action to arrest the perpetrators.   The Amnesty Office urges Niger Delta youths, who might see the amnesty programme as a meal ticket, to seek other avenues of empowerment. The programme cannot go outside its mandate, which is to engage, train and reintegrate the 26,358 former agitators that have already been demobilized and documented.   The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, not only remains committed and focused but has also kept faith with the mandate to train, empower and reintegrate all amnesty beneficiaries.   The amnesty programme is indeed on course!   SIGNED     DANIEL ALABRAH HEAD, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY OFFICE ABUJA

NIGER DELTA: NO MORE HOSTILITY, YET NO INFRASTRUCT...

MOAgbajoh: NIGER DELTA: NO MORE HOSTILITY, YET NO INFRASTRUCT...: Despite the relative PEACE & RESOURCES tapped from soil of the Niger Delta there is really no visible Infrastructure & development to show f...

SHARING NIGER DELTA EXPERIENCE WITH THE READING PUBLIC

Saturday, 25 August 2012. By Florence Utor Source: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96574:sharing-niger-delta-experience-with-reading-public&catid=74:arts&Itemid=683 THE book, Remaking The Niger Delta: Challenges and Opportunities, by Kingsley Kuku reinforces the on-going debate on how not to treat the hen that lays the golden egg. But what makes the book deep is the profile of the author who is believed to have Niger Delta running in his veins. Presently as the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs, Kuku wasn’t only born in the region, he grew up there, so he has deep knowledge of the plight of the region, the hardship and suffering of the people. The author may not have been born when oil was discovered in the region in the 1950s or even the 60s, but he was involved in the struggle to emancipate his people from the environmental degradation through the exploitation of crude oil by the Federal Government through the multinational oil companies. He equally played a critical role in the amnesty programme of the government aimed at bringing peace to the region. This led to the disarmament and empowerment of the youths in the region. Remaking The Niger Delta: Challenges and Opportunities can be regarded as a national vision from a child of the Niger Delta conflict. Having been the national spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council, one of the formidable pressure groups for the struggle and emancipation of the region, and someone passionate for peace and for an end to the spilling of the blood of the people of the Niger Delta in response to their righteous demands. As a key play in the Amnesty Programme, which Kuku coordinates on behalf of President Jonathan, the book seeks to place in historical and contemporary perspective and demonstrate how fundamental the programme is to Nigeria’s future direction. The book highlights the often forgotten point that instability in the Niger Delta causes the very foundations of the Nigerian polity and economy shudder. That is why the strategic direction and the many concrete proposals set out in the book for building on the Amnesty Programme and taking Nigeria forward should be considered. It also provides a summary overview of the history of Nigeria and the Niger Delta. The introductory chapter examines Nigeria’s development in the context of the rest of Africa and its importance on the world stage because of oil. It focuses on the Niger Delta in the context of oil and demonstrates how stability of Nigeria and its economy is inextricably linked to the stability of the region and its oil producing communities. In the book, the author not only chronologically examines the contextual basis of the problems of the region but assists readers in having better understanding of the problems in the region and the root causes of those problems. He also offers some perspectives that should inform and shape policy direction of governments and various agencies to effectively resolve immediate problems and bring lasting solution, peace and progress to the region as a legacy for sustainable development from which other parts of the country can learn and benefit. Also examined is the role and responses of various stakeholders since the region came to the attention of the rest of Nigerians and the rest of the world in the 1950s when oil was discovered. And to sustain the peace being enjoyed in the region since the introduction of the amnesty programme, Kuku looks at the oil and gas production and the social and economic development of the Niger Delta region. He calls on oil companies to exercise corporate social responsibility as an acknowledgement and demonstration of the need to marry social investment, the building of social capital and alleviation of poverty and promotion of social inclusion with economic development and wealth creation. He urges governments to extract CSR commitments from the oil companies as part of the Joint Venture Agreements with host communities. The book points to the way forward and provides a comprehensive road map for Nigeria, carefully crafted by the true son of the soil. The author highlights the need to integrate the Niger Delta and Nigeria, having regard to what led to the amnesty proclamation, the amnesty programme itself and intervention and sustainability issues. He also looks at the work and recommendations of a number of commissions established over the years to consider the reason for the continuing agitation in the region and the process that led to the amnesty programme. He also examines the economic potential of the Niger Delta and the implications it has for Nigeria viz-a-viz the oil and gas exploration and production in the region within the context of enabling the full value-chain of other economic activities. He concludes that this approach will create employment, conserve the eco-system, create more wealth for the region and the country in general. Also explored by the author, is the role of bodies such as the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, as well as state and local governments in the post-amnesty environment. He argues that the opportunity now exists to coordinate the activities of existing bodies set up by government to bring peace and stability to the Niger Delta and to develop the region. To underscore the intrinsic bond between the Niger Delta and Nigeria, Kuku demonstrates how achieving success in the region will give a great boost to the country’s national security aspirations both on the domestic and foreign policy fronts. As somebody who has seen it all, the author carefully looks at what the future holds for Nigeria and the Niger Delta region and emphasizes why the country needs to diversify its economy, leveraging on oil and gas revenue from the region, warning that failure to do this may result in continuing heavy dependence on oil and gas revenues and exposure to dwindling fortunes in volatile oil markets at a time of actual and projected population growth. The author further examines the reality of multiculturalism in Nigeria and argues that there will be increasing plurality and complexity in society and that young people will continue to cross artificial boundaries and claim the world. He concludes that if the country longs for economic growth and development, and is creating the environment for investment and for attracting foreign investors, it should also be better prepared to manage the challenges of plurality. Having seen the gains the amnesty programme of the federal government has brought to the region in the last four years, Kuku tasks stakeholders to exploit this unique opportunity to stabilise the region. The country’s ability to forge a future of peace, economic, social and political stability and prosperity for all Nigerians, according to him, will depend on how well “we can learn from the painful lessons of the region and how we respond to the great possibilities that the country offers.”

Kuku, Ex-militants And The Amnesty Programme

http://leadership.ng/nga/columns/33263/2012/08/24/kuku_exmilitants_and_amnesty_programme.html Fri, 24/08/2012 - 2:13am | MICHAEL JEGEDE Opinion Comment & Opinion When the federal government under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua made the proclamation of amnesty for Niger Delta militants on June 25, 2009, not many believed it was going to make any meaningful impact in the activities of the agitators in the region. In fact, many had doubted whether the government was truly going to fulfil its side of the deal, which has to do with the pledge to institute programmes to assist the disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation and provision of integration support, after the militants must have declared their willingness and readiness to surrender their arms, unreservedly forsake militancy and sign an undertaking to that effect. In his proclamation speech, after accepting the recommendations of the Presidential Panel constituted to set out the terms, procedures and processes of granting of an amnesty to the Niger Delta militants, the late President pointed out in very clear terms that, “the offer of amnesty is predicated on the willingness and readiness of the militants to give up all illegal arms in their possession, completely renounce militancy in all its ramifications unconditionally, and depose to an undertaking to this effect. It is my fervent hope that all militants in the Niger Delta will take advantage of this amnesty and come out to join in the quest for the transformation of our dear nation.” Today, it may not be wrong to say that the amnesty programme ably and adeptly coordinated by Hon. Kingsley Kuku, has made significant impact in the restoration of peace in the Niger Delta, a region that was hitherto known to be the seal of violence and massive destruction with the doings of the militants. This, irrefutably, may be the reason why Yar’Adua despite his death has continued to receive accolades from most Nigerians for considering the option of amnesty in the long search for peace in the area. Goodluck Jonathan the then Vice President and now President, has equally received commendation and applause for deeming it fit to ensure the sustenance of the programme. It is the belief of many that the amnesty declaration remains the most genuine, valiant and profound effort made by any federal governmentsince the country’s Independence to tackle the agitation for fairness, equity and development in the oil-rich Niger Delta. It is seen to have been the most effective tool employed by any government in addressing critical national issue. When asked recently in an interview to give his impression about the amnesty programme, the Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman had this to say: “My take on the amnesty programme is that the amnesty was the much needed intervention. We don’t need to look far to see why it was needed and why it was a necessary intervention. We were as a country in a basket case. As at the time it was thought out the country was in a basket case. Thank God the then President, late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had the wisdom, foresight and understanding to recognise the need to make the amnesty offer to the Niger Delta militants at that time. If he hadn’t at that material time, only God knows what it would have been today. That programme has not just been successful; it has saved us a lot.” Refuting the claim in some quarters that the programme has been a total failure, the Senator said: “I don’t know the indices used in scoring the amnesty programme low. By the indices we have, before the amnesty programme the production output of the country was abysmal and was in the region of just about one million barrels a day. With the amnesty programme we raised it to 2.4 million barrels a day. Such indices will naturally tell you that amnesty is the reason why things are looking stable and back to normal in the Niger Delta.” However, there had been one form of threat or the other by different groups of ex-militants to return the creek. Some of them have been complaining of the non-payment of certain allowances due to them after their rehabilitation. Some feel that the programme is moving at a very slow pace, wondering how long they will wait for them to be sent out for training. There are also complaints about the outright exclusion of some youths from the programme. On August 7, 2012, for instance, hundreds of ex-militants invaded the Secretariat of the Nigerian Union Journalists (NUJ) in Warri, Delta State, threatening to burn down the building. The former Niger Delta agitators were said to have brandished different kind of weapons and went with gallons of petrol to burn down the NUJ office, because, according to them, journalists were not on hand to hear their grievance over their unpaid monthly stipends. Few days after, another group of ex-militants reportedly converged on Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital to issue a one-week ultimatum to the presidency - threatening total disorder if their demands were not responded to. The threat of the former Niger Delta agitators, said to be numbering 6,166 was contained in a communiqué signed by twelve ex-militant Generals. They disclosed in the communiqué that, “the Transition Safety Allowances (AST) which has long been paid to some leaders have not been paid to these six thousand one hundred and sixty-six members which was  agreed during the time of laying down our arms for the sake of peace and rapid development of the region.” The federal government, having seen the way peace and stability have come to stay in the Niger Delta region should not hesitate to take drastic steps, in addressing whatever challenges facing the amnesty programme. I do not think that any amount will be too much to run a programme that has paved way for the advancement of the country’s economy due to increased level of oil production resulting from the introduction of amnesty. At a press conference in Abuja to mark the third year anniversary of the amnesty pact in June this year, Kuku, the Presidential Adviser in charge of the Amnesty Office, had revealed that the programme has saved the nation about N6 trillion in production gain since its inception.

PROTEST BY ALLEGED EX-NIGER DELTA AGITATORS

August 22, 2012              PRESS STATEMENT
   
On Wednesday, August 22, 2012, a group of youths claiming to be from the Niger Delta were said to have staged a protest in Abuja and demanded for inclusion in the Federal Government amnesty programme for former Niger Delta agitators.
 
The Amnesty Office understands that this is part of an ongoing agitation for inclusion in a purported Third Phase of the amnesty programme, which has now been hijacked by impostors claiming to be former agitators in the Niger Delta.
 
For the umpteenth time and for the avoidance of doubt, the Amnesty Office wishes to state that its records show that only 26,358 amnesty beneficiaries have been demobilized and documented in Phase One and Phase Two of the amnesty programme.
 
We therefore consider as impostors those claiming to belong to a Third Phase of the amnesty programme and have recently staged protests in Benin City, Edo State; Warri in Delta State and yesterday in Abuja, the federal capital territory.
 
We challenge those claiming to be Third Phase beneficiaries to come forward to state their camps or who their leaders are.
 
It is important to reiterate that the Amnesty Office does not yet run a Third Phase of the amnesty programme, as neither the office nor its Chairman/Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, has received such directive from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has the sole authority to make such declaration.
 
The Amnesty Office considers such protests as a security matter and commends the security agencies for their prompt response in ensuring the restoration of peace, law and order either in Abuja or in the Niger Delta.
 
 
Daniel Alabrah
Head, Media and Communications
Presidential Amnesty Office
Abuja

RECIPE FOR PEACE

 

 Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/recipe-for-peace/122709/

19 Aug 2012

Niger Delta

By Davidson Iriekpen

Aflip through the book, Remaking the Niger Delta: Challenges and Opportunities, convinces the reader that this is an eyewitness account. Indeed, the area called Niger Delta spawned the author, Hon Kingsley Kuku, the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs. He was not only born in the region, he also grew up there. As an eyewitness to the hardship and suffering of the people, he is able to document the travails of the area in this book.

Kuku, a veteran of the struggle to emancipate his people from environmental degradation, equally played a critical role in the government’s amnesty programme. The programme led to the disarmament and empowerment of the youths in the region. He is riled by the rapacious exploitation of the crude oil in this area by the federal government through the multinational oil companies.

The book offers a national vision from this child of the Niger Delta conflict. Kuku, a former national spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council, seeks to place in both historical and contemporary perspective the relevance of the amnesty programme for Nigeria’s future.

Remaking the Niger Delta: Challenges and Opportunities highlights the often forgotten point that instability in the Niger Delta causes the very foundations of the Nigerian polity and economy to shudder. That is why the strategic direction and the many concrete proposals set out in the book for building on the amnesty programme and taking Nigeria forward are worthy of the most serious consideration.

It also provides a summary overview of the history of Nigeria and the Niger Delta. The introductory chapter examines Nigeria’s development in the context of the rest of Africa and its importance on the world stage because of oil. It focuses on the Niger Delta in the context of oil and demonstrates how stability of Nigeria and its economy is inextricably linked to the stability of the region and its oil producing communities.

In the book, the author not only chronologically examines the contextual basis of the problems of the region but assists readers in having better understanding of the problems in the region and the root causes of those problems. He also offers some perspectives that should inform and shape policy direction of governments and various agencies to effectively resolve immediate problems and bring lasting solution, peace and progress to the region as a legacy for sustainable development from which other parts of the country can learn and benefit.

Also not left out in the book is the role and responses of various stakeholders since the region came to the attention of the rest of Nigerians and the rest of the world in the 1950s when oil was discovered. The author also tries to bring to the understanding of readers the dynamic relationship between stakeholders as being a principle causes of the problem.

To sustain the peace being enjoyed in the region since the introduction of the amnesty programme, Kuku looks at the oil and gas production and the social and economic development of the Niger Delta region. He calls on oil companies to exercise corporate social responsibility as an acknowledgement and demonstration of the need to marry social investment, the building of social capital and alleviation of poverty and promotion of social inclusion with economic development and wealth creation. He even wants the governments to extract CSR commitments from the oil companies as part of the Joint Venture Agreements with host communities.

Kuku in the book writes from inside of all those experiences and demonstrates statesmanlike abilities as a peacemaker with a bold vision for Nigeria, a vision that can be realised only if the entire nation deals with the Niger Delta issue.

The book points to the way forward and provides a comprehensive road map for Nigeria, carefully crafted by the true son of the soil. It also highlights the need to integrate the Niger Delta and Nigeria, having regard to what led to the amnesty proclamation, the amnesty programme itself and intervention and sustainability issues. He also looks at the work and recommendations of a number of commissions established over the years to consider the reason for the continuing agitation in the region and the process that led to the amnesty programme.
He also examines the economic potential of the Niger Delta and the implications it has for Nigeria vis-à-vis the oil and gas exploration and production in the region within the context of enabling the full value-chain of other economic activities. He concludes that this approach will create employment, conserve the eco-system, create more wealth for the region and the country in general.

In of the chapters, the author explores the role of bodies such as the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, as well as state and local governments in the post-amnesty environment. He argues that the opportunity now exists to coordinate the activities of existing bodies set up by government to bring peace and stability to the Niger Delta and to develop the region.

To underscore the intrinsic connectedness between the Niger Delta and Nigeria, Kuku tries to demonstrate how achieving success in the region will give a great boost to the country’s national security aspirations both on the domestic and foreign policy fronts.
As somebody who has seen it all, the author carefully looks at what the future holds for Nigeria and the Niger Delta region and emphasises why the country needs to quickly diversify its economy, leveraging on oil and gas revenue from the region, adding that failure to do it will result in continuing heavy dependence on oil and gas revenues and exposure to dwindling fortunes in volatile oil markets at a time of actual and projected population growth. He notes that this has potentially very serious consequences for law and order, peace and security in the country

The author further examines the reality of multiculturalism in Nigeria and argues that there will be increasing plurality and complexity in society and that young people will continue to cross artificial boundaries and claim the world. He concludes that if the country longs for economic growth and development, and is creating the environment for investment and for attracting foreign investors, it should also be better prepared to manage the challenges of plurality.

Having seen the positive wonders the amnesty programme of the federal government has brought to the region in the last four years, Kuku concludes that it presents stakeholders a unique opportunity to stabilise the region and that the country’s ability to forge a future of peace, economic, social and political stability and prosperity for all Nigerians will depend on how well we can learn from the painful lessons of the region and how we respond to the great possibilities that the country offers.

FACTS OF THE MATTER

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA

PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY PROGRAMME

 

RE: ULTIMATUM BY ‘LEADERS’ OF THE SECOND PHASE AMNESTY BENEFICIARIES

 

FACTS OF THE MATTER

 

The Presidential Amnesty Office has been reliably informed that certain persons that claim to be leaders of the Second Phase entrants into the Presidential Amnesty Programme (Amnesty Phase 2) met in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, on Sunday, August 12, 2012 and resolved to among other things issue a one-week ultimatum to the Presidential Amnesty Office and its Chairman/Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon. Kingsley Kuku.

Their demands, as reported by a section of the media, included:

 Payment of the Transition Safety Allowance (TSA) to all the former Niger Delta agitators enrolled in the second phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

 Sending of the Second Phase leaders to a two-week offshore entrepreneurship training programme.

They threatened, as we learnt, that if their demands were not met at the expiration of the one week ultimatum they would unleash mayhem in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country, including the capital city, Abuja.

It is true that the Presidential Amnesty Office budgeted for and is yet to commence payment of the Transition Safety Allowance (TSA) to the 6,166 amnesty beneficiaries enrolled in the Second Phase of the Amnesty Programme.

It is also a fact that the payment has been delayed due to no fault of the Amnesty Office but because these so-called leaders of the second phase entrants into the Amnesty Programme have shamelessly and illegally altered the personal banking records of some of the former agitators listed in the programme through them to suit their whims.

They were able to perpetrate this criminal and unlawful alterations partly by conniving with bank officials and also due to the fact that those enlisted in the Second Phase of the Amnesty Programme did not belong to any of the defunct militant camps in the Niger Delta. Rather, they were enlisted in the programme via allotments to this so-called camp-less ‘Generals’ (leaders) by the Federal Government in 2010. Capitalising on this loose arrangement, the so-called leaders have been tampering with the personal banking details of persons enlisted in the programme through them.

However, conscious of extant financial regulations and keen on transparency and accountability, the Presidential Amnesty Office has continued to resist the incessant doctoring of the personal accounts and records of persons enlisted in the Second Phase of the programme by their so-called leaders.

The Amnesty office has in several meetings with these leaders registered its contempt at the alterations of personal bank records of beneficiaries enlisted in the programme and warned of the dire consequences of such acts. Indeed, the office is aware that several of the beneficiaries wrongfully and illegally delisted by their so-called leaders have gone to the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to report this very serious matter. On its part, the Amnesty Office is resolving some of the disputes arising from the illegal doctoring of this Phase Two list internally.

To buttress its position on transparency and accountability, the Amnesty Office has severally stopped or delayed the payment of stipends and allowances to accounts strongly suspected to have been tampered with by the so-called leaders of the Second Phase, pending when the anomalies were rectified.

It must be stated that immediately the unscrupulous antics of the purported leaders were noticed, the Amnesty Office promptly engaged forensic experts to tidy up the demobilization records of the entire 6,166 persons enlisted in the Second Phase of the programme. The team is carrying out a painstaking assignment and until it finishes its work, the Amnesty Office will not pay the Transition Safety Allowance (TSA) to the suspicious personal accounts supplied by the leaders of the Second Phase beneficiaries of the programme.

No amount of blackmail, campaign of calumny or protests will make the Amnesty Office or the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme shift position on this insistence on transparency and accountability in the running of the Amnesty Programme.

We, however, assure the 6,166 persons genuinely enrolled in the second phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme that once the forensic experts complete the thorough verification of their demobilisation records, including their personal account details, they will be paid their Transition Safety Allowance. The ultimate aim of the office is to ensure that this money does not end up in the pockets of their very insensitive and greedy ‘leaders.’

On the matter of entrepreneurship training for the Phase Two leaders, even when this is not a right, the Amnesty Office concedes that efforts are being made to provide such training to them. We wish to however clarify that this will not materialize till other leaders of the ex-agitators enlisted in the first phase of the programme round off their own entrepreneurship training programme. We are currently putting finishing touches to plans to deploy the first phase leaders to entrepreneurship training centres.

Let it be known that the Amnesty Office will not succumb to blackmail or intimidation by persons that are keen on breaching laid down financial rules. It is in the light of this that the office expects the nation’s security agencies to deal decisively with persons, including the so-called Amnesty Phase Two leaders, who attempt to breach public peace either in the Niger Delta or any part of the country.

 

 

DANIEL ALABRAH

HEAD, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY OFFICE

ABUJA

AMNESTY PROGRAMME HAS CREATED ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NIGER DELTA- ALABRAH

Mr. Daniel Alabrah, a former deputy editor of The Sun Newspapers, is Head, Media and Communication of the Federal Government's amnesty programme. He met with selected journalists in Warri, last Saturday, during which he spoke on a number of issues, including the task of developing the Niger Delta region.

THE HEAD, Media and Communication of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, has advised the Federal Government not to see the granting of amnesty to former militant agitators in the Niger Delta region as a means to an end of the crisis in the region.

Alabrah, who spoke in Warri, Delta State, at the weekend, said it is part of the holistic approach to the development of the region as initiated by the late former President Umar Yar'Adua.

Similarly, the amnesty spokesperson also cautioned against seeing the amnesty programme as celebration of violence, even as he clarified that it is now improper to refer to the former armed youths as ex-militants.

He said: “These were youths who once took up arms against the federal government requesting for the development of the Niger Delta. They were armed then, so we referred to them as militant, but after they were granted amnesty we then referred to them as ex-militants.

“But now that they have passed through the 3-phase internationally required for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Re-integration  programme, we can now refer to them as Niger Delta youths because we have reintegrated them back and we don't need to call them by their former status”.

 “They have gone through a process starting from disarmament to demobilization and now they are in the reintegration stage which means the process of reintegration into the society has almost gone full circle so you can no longer refer to them as militants.”

On those agitating for inclusion in the programme, Alabrah remarked that it is only President Goodluck Jonathan who can include them in the old list or approve another phase for their training. He said that the amnesty programme have been generally close to 'militants' stressing that the Amnesty Office does not recognize anybody as 'ex-militant' under any guise rather those those youths that were enlisted during the proclamation of the amnesty programme and have now passed through the DDM stage and now being classify as Niger Delta youths.

It would be recalled that in the initial process of the programme, the former militants and their 'commanders' surrendered their arms to the Joint Task Force as part of the disarmament phase. Their arms and ammunition were recorded by a special unit that was set up in the Joint Task Force, 'Operation Restore Hope'.

Thereafter, the youths were demobilized and later moved to the training camp in Obrubra, Cross Rivers State, where they underwent the first training geared towards their re-assimilation into the society. From there, they were sent to various locations across the world for trainings suited to their knowledge, education and interests.

Alabrah gave a thumb up to the amnesty programme under Kingsley Kuku, stating that so far the amnesty office has being fulfilling its mandate and still trying to sustain the peace now being enjoyed in the Niger Delta.

Already, he disclosed that the efforts of the executors of the programme are already yielding fruit with the increase in the nation's crude production to the highest level in decades. He maintained that the amnesty office has a mandate, which does not include infrastructural development of the region.

He clarified that the task of development lies with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as well as other government agencies saddled with such responsibilities to take advantage of the peace which the amnesty programme have brought to start massive development of the region.

'ONLY JONATHAN CAN DECLARE FRESH AMNESTY'

August 13, 2012 by Emmanuel Addeh, Warri

 http://www.punchng.com/news/only-jonathan-can-declare-fresh-amnesty/

 

Presidential Amnesty Office says only President Goodluck Jonathan has the powers to approve the inclusion of more youths in the amnesty programme.
The Amnesty Office told reporters  in Warri, Delta State on Saturday that it had  decided to make the  clarification following a protest by some youth  agitating for inclusion in the programme, and others who claimed they were being owed monthly stipends by the Federal Government.
Head, Media and Communication of the Amnesty Office, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said unless the President took a decision on the issue,  nothing could be done.
Alabrah said, “It is only President Goodluck Jonathan that has the powers to include or approve another phase for such youths in the region to be enlisted in the amnesty programme.”
He said the office should not be blamed for the  under-development of the Niger Delta, saying the statutory ministry and commission should be held responsible for such issues of development.
He said,  “The mandate of the Amnesty Office is to engage the former agitators in the Niger Delta who had dropped their arms, demobilised and have been trained in various vocations. I can tell you this mandate has been carried out to the letter.”
Alabrah said the ex-militants enlisted in the programme had passed through the 3rd phase of the programme, saying that they should no longer be identified as ex-militants but Niger Delta Youths.
“These were youths who once took up arms against the federal government questing for the development of the Niger Delta. They were armed then, so we referred to them as militants.
“But after they were granted amnesty, we then referred to them as ex-militants. But now that they have passed through the 3-phase internationally required for this kind of programme, we can now refer to them as Niger Delta youths.”
Alabrah said the granting of amnesty to the ex-militants should not be seen as an end in itself, while calling  for the development of the Niger Delta.

IJAW WOMEN TO EX-MILITANTS: YOU ARE UNGRATEFUL TO JOURNALISTS

                

Ijaw women, under the auspices of Women Initiatives for Values, Empowerment and Sustainability(WIVES) have lampooned recalcitrant ex-militants who invaded the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), in Warri, Delta State, on Tuesday.
The group's president and former executive member of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Tonbra Kasikoro, denounced the group. She said the aggrieved ex-militants are ungrateful for the support of the vibrant Warri press in the agitation for a better deal for the oil-rich region.
Kasikoro said  this morning, particularly faulted the crude method adopted by the youths, stressing that there are better ways for them to express their grievance with the Presidential Amnesty Programme, which she said, has recorded more results that all ministers from the region.
She said the Kingsley Kuku-led programme "is working and this is evident from the fact that oil production has reached its highest level in decades, as confirmed by the NNPC. That is enough proof that Kuku is getting it right."
She described the programme's training and skills acquisition programme, as a refreshing break from past efforts of "giving out fishes", adding that it is the best way to empower youths of the region.
"They should not allow the essence of the programme to be lost in their individual pursuits because it is intended to equip them with the required skills and knowledge to become independent and contribute to national development."
Kasikoro lamented that the action of the militants, under the guise of Phase II amnesty trainees, was capable of painting Niger Delta youths as loafers who are merely in search of handouts.
Consequently, she admonished all aggrieved persons to take their issues to the amnesty office rather than engaging in attacks such as that on the NUJ and other acts capable of casting the programme and Kuku in bad light.

PROTESTING MILITANTS ARE IMPOSTERS, SAYS AMNESTY OFFICE

The Presidential Amnesty Office (PAO) says a group of militants protesting against non-payment of their monthly stipend are impostors.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by Mr Daniel Alabrah, the PAO's Head, Media and Communications.

He said ``the PAO strongly condemns Tuesday’s unprovoked attack on journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Warri, Delta, by a group of miscreants masquerading as former Niger Delta agitators.’’

The statement noted that the office had denied the claim by so-called protesters that it owed them monthly stipend.

``For purposes of clarification, our records show that the so-called protesters, who claimed to be former agitators under Phase Two of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) are not known to this office.

``Clearly, they are impostors trying to reap from the success of the amnesty programme. 

``Information available to us also shows that this was the same group that attacked the Benin NUJ secretariat last week and made similar claims.’’

The office restated that the group was not part of the Phase Two of the amnesty programme.

It added that ``in reality, they are part of the numerous groups clamouring to be absorbed into the programme under a third phase.

``The Amnesty Office is not owing any Niger Delta youth under the Presidential Amnesty Programme as their stipends are paid through their banks from the 25th of every month.

``The payment process is computerised and no one is paid by hand’’, the statement noted.

The office said that the protest was an  attempt to blackmail Mr Kingsley Kuku, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme,.

“We have resolved to do what is best for the Niger Delta and Nigeria through the PAP. No amount of negative or hate campaign can make us lose focus.

“We will continue to work with the security agencies to foster peace and economic growth in the Niger Delta.’’

The statement said that the dividends of the amnesty proclamation had already ensured a steady rise in crude oil production, which only recently hit 2.7 million barrels per day.

The office urged security agencies not to be deterred and ensure miscreants do not breach the current peace in the Niger Delta.

It warned that anyone caught fomenting trouble should be treated according to the laws of the country. (NAN)

NAN-H-

Abuja, Aug 8, 2012.

‘Amnesty Office not responsible for attack’

By Dele Anofi, Abuja 

The Presidential Amnesty Office has denounced the attack on reporters at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Warri, Delta State, by a group that called itself former Niger Delta agitators.

The Amnesty Office in a statement yesterday by the Head of Media and Communications, Daniel Alabrah,  dismissed the claim by the protesters that they are being owed their monthly stipend. 

The Office said the attack was part of a campaign of calumny and the attempt to blackmail the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku.

The statement reads: “For purposes of clarification, our records show that the so-called protesters, who claimed to be former agitators under Phase Two of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, are not known to this Office.

“Clearly, they are impostors trying to reap from the success of the amnesty programme. Information available to us also shows that this was the same group that attacked the Benin NUJ secretariat last week and made similar claims.”

“The Amnesty Office is not owing any Niger Delta youth under the Presidential Amnesty Programme as their stipends are paid through their banks from the 25th of every month. The payment process is computerised and no one is paid by hand.”

Counting the Gains of the Amnesty Programme

On the strength of these robust achievements, why on earth will anyone question the competence of Hon. Kingsley Kuku? Is someone somewhere waging a propaganda war against Kingsley Kuku and his office? Why this mindless transport to this unedifying practice?  Who in Ijawnation is conjuring this weird feeling of  dejavu of delusion because of some demonic ambition? WHO?

At the wake of 2009, militancy in the Niger Delta had reached its apogee and had virtually crippled Nigeria’s economy.  Investment inflow to the upstream sub-sector of the oil industry had dwindled drastically. The frequency of hostage taking and violation of oil facilities had reached a frightening dimension. Invariably, foreign investors felt that since Nigeria’s capacity as Africa’s highest crude oil producer had been threatened, Angola and Ghana and South Africa were preferred as investment destinations to Nigeria. Intense militancy reduced Shell Petroleum Development Company’s production drop from one million bpd to about 250,000 bpd. Other oil majors such as ExxonMobil, TotalFina Elf, and Nigerian Agip Oil Coy also experienced heightened violation of their facilities. Apart from sabotage, oil siphon oil siphoning rackets and kidnappings Oil workers unions often embarked on strike to protest to protest insecure working environment or the release of kidnapped workers. In 2008 alone, it was estimated that Nigeria lost over 3 trillion Naira as a result of militancy in the Niger Delta.

Accordingly, the late President of Nigeria, the Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on June 25, 2009, proclaimed and granted unconditional amnesty to combatants in the Niger Delta. The principal terms of the amnesty included the willingness and readiness of militants to surrender their arms, unconditionally, renounce militancy and sign an undertaking to this effect. In return, the government pledged its commitment to institute programmes to assist the disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant militants.

In Nigeria, the hitherto popular trend whereby certificate was seen as a meal ticket is no longer in vogue. This is largely due to massive unemployment. There are three categories of unemployed people: those who have no marketable skills and talents even at the rudimentary level. The second category comprises people who are educated but have no skills that can fit with the dynamics of the economy. This has resulted in a mismatch between the educational system and the economy. While the economy is not funding the educational system adequately, the products of the system cannot function effectively in any sector of the economy. The third category consists of people who have skills that are needed by the economy but most of the real sectors of the economy are moribund hence such skilled workers are often unemployed or at best under-employed. With the passage ot time, unemployment poses a grave and growing danger to the stability of Nigeria.

For the past couple of years, the unemployment scenario has been worsened by the global economic recession.  Under these turbulent times, a successful economic development strategy must focus on improving the skills of the workforce, especially the task of raising a formidable army of intermediate manpower, reduce the cost of doing business through the massive provision of infrastructure, entrenching a favourable tax regime and utilizing the distinctive advantage at the disposal of the State to compete and thrive within the context of the global economy. Again, the system should have built-in checks to ensure that it is running in the right direction. As Winston Churchill rightly said” However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results” It does appear that getting the strategy right is the most crucial component in any policy implementation process.

There is a critical perspective of the Amnesty Programme in the Niger Delta scholars and analysts have inadvertently omitted namely the Sustainability component of the programme. SD is a pattern of resources use, which seeks to meet human needs of the present, but also for generations to come. As popularized by the Brundtland Commission, SD is defined as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

In fact, ‘sustainability" was employed to describe an economy "in equilibrium with basic ecological support systems." Translated into human capacity building, sustainability is taken to mean endowing people with skills, abilities and competences capable of manipulating economic processes and at the same time providing a mechanism for employing such skilled manpower to increase productivity.

In Nigeria, one of the programmes that need built-in sustainability criteria is the Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government. I am now convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the Kingsley Kuku administered Amnesty Programme, AP, has created tremendous impact in terms of training Niger Delta youths and enhancing their capacities for a re-engineered economy in the Region and by extension Nigeria.  I have clear evidence that more than any programme, the AP has been the most aggressive in terms of human capacity building in all its ramifications.

Niger Delta youths have inundated the training institutes in Ghana, South Africa, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, India and so many countries around the world. Soon, the Niger Delta will produce lots of pipeline and Under-water Welders, Pilots, Boat Builders, Seafarers, Marine Engineers and ICT gurus among others. The most critical question then would be: Where are we going to get these skilled youths either gainfully employed or enable them employ themselves to deliver value for and enhance productivity? This question has become all the more necessary because most of the hitherto existing industries in the Niger Delta such as the Aluminum Smelting Company at Ikot Abasi, scores of Industries such as Michelin, WaterGlass Boat building Company, West African Glass Industries, Pabod Breweries, the Cement Company at Okpella, National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria, NAFCON, to mention just a few, have either gone underground or driven out of the country by the excessively high operational costs due largely to the absence of needed infrastructure. Perhaps, the only industries that would provide a short-term buffer are the Liquefied Natural Gas Companies, the Refineries – which at present are operating at less than desirable capacity, aggravated by policy flip-flops, failed privatization attempts, worsened by the empire building tendencies of the privileged few.

From the aforementioned scenario, what should occupy the mind of the Federal Government is to revamp some of the moribund industries, revitalize ailing ones and build new industries that are capable of creating jobs for the skilled youths. Indeed, the Niger Delta people has to pursue entrepreneurial capitalism and urgently too.

In economic sustainability, the key building blocks are information, integration, and participation and inter-dependence. It is a process which advocates the development of all aspects of human life affecting sustenance, which involves the acquisition of skills, employment generation and sustaining the productive capacities of industries. I share the views of a Briton I met recently in Port Harcourt, who has worked in Nigeria for 54 years now. He holds that the talents of all African countries put together cannot match the huge talents in Nigeria, but according to him, the missing link is entrepreneurial leadership. Absence of entrepreneurial capitalism is one of the broken bridges we need to reconstruct, for that is the gap between Nigeria’s enormous natural endowments and development.

Planning requires that the Federal Government should provide an enabling environment for private investors to use cutting edge technology to invest massively in agriculture with specific emphasis on our comparative advantage such as rice cultivation, shrimp cultivation, deep sea fishing with trawlers, and other agro-allied industries, but this can only happen when there is uninterrupted power supply, good transportation system, which presupposes the existence of good road infrastructure.  With the basic infrastructure and investment security, the President does not need to embark on a trade delegation to scout for investors; Foreign Direct Investment would be a natural corollary. The implication is that for the AP to achieve its overarching objective, the Federal Government in synergy with private investors and other international development partners must consciously invest in the Amnesty Programme, especially the post- skills acquisition period. The States should not be left out in this endeavour.

 In the wake of 2009, militancy in the Niger Delta had virtually crippled Nigeria’s economy. Investment inflow to the upstream sub-sector of the oil industry had diminished; foreign investors who persevered to stay on became so exasperated that they had to leave for Ghana, Angola, as crude oil production reached its nadir. In fact, Nigeria’s capacity to grow meat its quota of oil production faced acute threat such it had become obvious that peace,  security and sustainable development was in the region.

As pointed out by the Amnesty Chief Hon. Kingsley Kuku, in 2008 alone, it was estimated that Nigeria lost over N3 trillion as a result of militancy in the Niger Delta. I think the successful management of the programme by the Presidency through the Office of the Special Adviser on the PAP is one of the strongest statements the Jonathan administration has made towards his commitment to developing the region. Little wonder, that the office of the S.A. has sent more than 5,000 youths to both formal schools and various vocational training centres both within and outside the country, with several others lined up for placement in various reintegration centres in  Nigeria.  Through meaningful partnerships and synergy between the Amnesty Programme operators on one hand and the Local Governments Councils, States and international development partners on another. In the Niger Delta Region, the establishment of the fish industry and the agric-sector will create direct impact on the youths who are now acquiring various skills. As pessimism gives way for robust optimism, the ingenuity of Hon. Kingsley Kuku in monitoring and tracking the progress of the programme in the various training institutes is commendable.  Kuku’s uncanny ability to supervise the youths is satisfactory and his ingenuity to navigate through conflictual turfs demonstrates his passion for the job.

Every job and whatever success that is achieved is a portrait of the person who does the job. When I compare the early, turbulent of the programme and the strides now, I can only lavishly concede that some measure of success has been achieved. I am persuaded to hold the view that if performance is the sole criterion to autograph ones name in excellence, Hon. Kinsley Kuku is doing just that. Ultimately, adequate funding coupled with government’s political will are critical success factors that will determine the sustainability of the PAP.

In discussing the fruits of the PAP, most people point at the primacy of economic benefits of increased oil production and relative peace in NDR. However, there are other intangible benefits that far outweigh the economic boom heralded by the PAP. The transformational activities offered by the PAP have extinguished the belief of the ex-agitators that resort to violence is more powerful than nonviolence. Ex-combatants have been relieved of the burden of violence and now, youths have been given the opportunity of ccareer guidance to realize their aspirations in terms of education, vocational and entrepreneurial skills.

With peace restored in the Region, oil companies and associated companies reopened shut-in wells. The result is that   Nigeria’s oil production increased from 800,000 Barrels per day to 2.7 mbpd. With cessation of hostilities, government has assured the international community fill its OPEC quota and be trusted by major consumer nations to meet its contractual obligations. Oil bunkering reduced Signs that the process would succeed accelerated economic development across the nation.   With renewed confidence in the international oil market, Nigeria has started to exercise enormous influence in OPEC. The increase in Nigeria’s quota of oil production is a result of reduced incidence of kidnapping, which provides the right environment for the repairs of oil and gas infrastructures damaged during the period of militant agitation. It has also provided ample opportunity for contractors handling developmental projects a lee-way to fast-track sustainable development in the NDR.

Now, the amnesty programme has a limited mandate –that of disarmament, Demobilization and Rehabilitation. Addressing newsmen in a press conference in Abuja on Feb 9^th 2012, the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Hon. Kingsley Kuku outlined the benefits of the Amnesty Programme to include: entrenching peace in the Creeks, drastically reducing the menace of kidnapping, destruction of oil facilities and increase in the nation’s quota of oil production. He attributed the success achieved in the PAP to the determination of President Jonathan to sustain peace and security of lives and property in the Country, while at the same time creating a conducive environment for oil production and foreign direct investment.

The PAP boss made it clear that the programme has accommodated more than 26,000 youths from the Niger Delta Region, adding that although some youths vehemently advocating for inclusion, the programme has closed. Only a proclamation by Mr. President can open a new phase of the PAP. I have vehemently and consistently advocated the need to accommodate more ex-combatants because most of the potential beneficiaries were not enrolled because of the wide spread skepticism at the time of initiating the programme.

Idumange John

8/8/12

AMNESTY OFFICE CONDEMNS ATTACK ON JOURNALISTS

August 8, 2012                           PRESS STATEMENT

 

 

The Presidential Amnesty Office strongly condemns Tuesday’s unprovoked attack on journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Warri, Delta State, by a group of miscreants masquerading as former Niger Delta agitators.

 

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head of Media and Communications, Mr Daniel Alabrah, the Amnesty Office dismissed the claim by the so-called protesters that they are being owed their monthly stipend.

 

For purposes of clarification, our records show that the so-called protesters, who claimed to be former agitators under Phase Two of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP, are not known to this office. Clearly, they are impostors trying to reap from the success of the amnesty programme.

 

Information available to us also shows that this was the same group that attacked the Benin NUJ secretariat last week and made similar claims.

 

Let us therefore restate the following:

1.     This group of miscreants is not part of the Phase Two of the amnesty programme. In reality, they are a part of the numerous groups clamouring to be absorbed into the programme under a third phase.

 

2.     The Amnesty Office is not owing any Niger Delta youth under the Presidential Amnesty Programme as their stipends are paid through their banks from the 25th of every month. The payment process is computerised and no one is paid by hand.

 

The Amnesty Office however notes the campaign of calumny and the attempt to blackmail the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, by some disgruntled elements for reasons best known to them.

 

“We have resolved to do what is best for the Niger Delta and Nigeria through the PAP. No amount of negative or hate campaign can make us lose focus.

 

“In furtherance of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda for the country and our region, we will continue to work with the security agencies to foster peace and economic growth in the Niger Delta. The dividends of the amnesty proclamation have already ensured a steady rise in crude oil production, which only recently hit 2.7 million barrels per day,” Kuku said.

 

The Amnesty Office urges security agencies not be deterred and ensure miscreants do not breach the current peace in the Niger Delta and  that anyone caught fomenting trouble should be treated according to the extant laws of the country.

 

 

Daniel Alabrah

Head, Media and Communications

Abuja

NIGER DELTA WOMEN COMMEND KUKU ON AMNESTY TRAINING

By By Shola O'Neil,  Port Harcourt 02/08/2012 


WOMEN from oil producing communities of the Niger Delta region, under the auspices of Women Initiatives for Values Empowerment and Sustainability, have commended the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Amnesty, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, for training over 26,000 youths in the amnesty training programme.
The women said the programme has contributed immensely to the prevailing peace and security in the region, and improved economic and social activities.
The group, however, called for a synergy between the Amnesty Office and oil companies operating in the region to provide jobs for those who have successfully completed the programme.
Speaking after a meeting of the group in Port Harcourt, yesterday, chairperson of WIVES, Ms 
Tonbra Kasikoro, said: “We are immensely proud of the achievement of Hon. Kuku with the training and other programmes of the amnesty office.”
She said the group held the meeting to assess the initiative, adding that “from all indications, the programme has succeeded; there are undisputable proofs of Hon. Kuku's achievements in the increase in crude oil production and general peace and security in the waterways of the region.”
Nevertheless, she expressed concern over number of women directly involvement in the training programme and called for greater allocation to women of the region.
“You know that the best way to train the society is to train a woman because she is a mother, who bears the weight of family life. So, there is no gain saying that training more women will lead to a better delta for us all.”
Kasikoro expressed the determination of WIVES 
and other related body to partner with the amnesty office to enable it continue with the good work it is doing for the restoration of the region.

GEJ VISITS OIL AND GAS TRAINEES IN TRINIDADhttp://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.391902224192563.80393.381389771910475&type=3

Nigeria’s oil production hits 2.7 million bpd

August 3, 2012 by Martin Ayankola and Everest Amaefule 7 Comments

The Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, has said that a significant milestone was recorded in the oil and gas sector on Wednesday as the country’s crude oil production increased from 2.4 million barrels per day to 2.7 million bpd.

Yakubu disclosed this on Thursday when the Governor of Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Suswam, led a delegation to the NNPC Towers, Abuja.

He said the security measures put in place by the Federal Government in the Niger Delta were beginning to yield positive results as shown in the increased crude oil production in the country.

“We want to thank the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, for his great initiative to restore security with regards to pipelines and our crude oil production facilities and we thank the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, for driving the process. I am glad to report to you that in crude oil production, yesterday (Wednesday), we recorded an all time high of 2.7 million barrels. This had not been recorded before,” Yakubu added.

He appealed to all the state governments, local governments areas, communities and other stakeholders to work in partnership with the corporation to safeguard the pipelines and other strategic national assets in order to reduce wastages.

Yakubu expressed the readiness of the corporation to collaborate with the Benue State Government to restore the Makurdi depot, adding that a similar collaboration with the Abia State Government recently led to the re-inauguration of the Aba depot after being closed for seven years.

He assured that as soon as pipelines supplying petroleum products from Aba to Enugu and Enugu to Makurdi depots were certified okay, the corporation would commence immediate supply to the area.

“We have not had any negative report from the Enugu to Makurdi pipelines and as soon as we do our integrity check and its okay, we will commence supply to the Makurdi depot,” he said.

On the efforts by the NNPC on gas infrastructure, the GMD noted that gas pipeline projects were currently ongoing across the country to support the industrialisation efforts of the Federal government.

Yakubu enjoined Suswam to assist in convincing his colleagues to buy into the Petroleum Industry Bill recently submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and passage into law. He noted that the bill made provision for the growth of private initiatives in the petroleum industry.

Earlier, Suswam had, commended the NNPC for the Kerosene Direct initiative and said the scheme had helped tremendously in the distribution of the product to the people of Benue State.

He said that his administration was willing to partner with the corporation in the resuscitation and expansion of the Makurdi depot, development of gas infrastructure and the ethanol project of the corporation.

The high point of the visit was a presentation by the state government on the Makurdi tank farm.