Nigerian ex-militant leaders of phases two and three have resolved conflict to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s peace initiatives for the region.
The decision followed a meeting between the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Paul Boroh and the ex-militant leaders.
According to a statement Saturday by Stella Inametti, an official of the media and communication department of PAP, the meeting is aimed at peace building and conflict resolution among the groups and the Amnesty office.
The statement quoted Mr. Boroh, also the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, as saying it is imperative for the leaders to meet regularly with officials of the Amnesty Programme – according to Premium Times.
Boroh emphasised that conflict and violence were no resolutions to crisis, and tasked the leaders to constantly remind the ex-agitators in their camps not to breach the peace in the country.
Mr. Boroh urged the leaders to use all channels of dialogue in solving problems to allow government’s developmental projects like the rail construction, modular refineries and the community pipeline surveillance to take off.
He said that it would be of benefit to the people and create massive job employment opportunity for the youth of the region.
The Presidential aide called on the people of the region and Nigerians to take ownership of President Buhari’s peace and development initiatives for the region.
Conflict in the Niger Delta first arose in the early 1990s over tensions between foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Delta’s minority ethnic groups who felt that they were being exploited. Ethnic and political unrest continued throughout the 1990s, with political tensions fuelling violence between ethnic groups and leading to the militarisation of almost the entire region by militia groups.
