In sustenance of
the new understanding between the Federal Government and the oil-producing
communities of the Niger Delta, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration
has released additional N35B to step-up the Amnesty Programme in the region.
Although the FG had
approved a N20B allocation for the Amnesty Programme in the 2016 budget,
President Buhari has now raised the funds, and as appropriated, to N55B with a
recent release of additional N30B. There is also a planned release of another
N5B later.
Currently the
Amnesty Office has now paid up all ex-militants backlog of their stipends up to
the end of 2016.
The release of the
additional funds is coming after presidential level interactive engagements in
the Niger Delta, where the Buhari administration has enunciated a New Vision
for the oil-producing areas based on the presentation made by the Pan Niger
Delta Forum, PANDEF, to the President when he received leaders and stakeholders
from the region last November.
Subsequently, the
President asked his deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to embark on a
tour of the region that saw him visiting several oil-producing States in the
country.
Besides the monthly
payment of about N65, 000 to N66,000 to the ex-militants, the funds would also
go to the provision of reintegration activities under the Amnesty Programme
including payment of tuition fees for beneficiaries from Niger Delta who are in
post-secondary institutions at home and abroad, payment of in-training &
hazard allowances and vocational training costs.
There are also
empowerment schemes and self-help, self-employment support funds, including
provision of needed equipments by the Amnesty Office. Equally, the funds would
also support the training of pilots, aviation engineers, technicians, and motor
vehicles mechanics from the oil-producing
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