Niger Delta Amnesty Programme Extended By Two Years
President Muhammadu Buhari[/caption]
President Muhammadu Buhari has announced a two-year extension of the Presidential Amnesty Programme till December 2017.
The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Retired Brig, General Paul Boroh, who announced the shift in date on Monday in Abuja, disclosed that the Amnesty Office is removing a total of 3,232 beneficiaries from the programme.
The initial five years of the progamme elapsed last December, but the General explained that the extension is borne out of need to draw and implement an exit strategy to save huge cost of implementing the amnesty programme, and at same time forestall a resurgence of militancy in the oil- rich Niger Delta after its been concluded.
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Boroh, observed that an exit strategy was not conceived in the original open ended programme initiated by late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
According to him, the programme has succeeded in restoring peace in the region.
