Amnesty programme has created
enabling environment for development of Niger Delta - Alabrah
Daniel Alabrah, a former deputy
editor, Sunday 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 exercise 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.
“The mandate of the presidential
amnesty office is to engaged the former agitators in the Niger Delta who had
dropped their arms, demobilized and have been trained in various vocations. I
can tell you these mandates have been carried out to the latter.”
Besides, he said that over a
thousand of repentant youths are performing so well in various area of study,
some are also enjoying scholarship from their host country. Recently, he said
about 10 of them got scholarship from the government of Trinidad and
Tobago.
While condemning the attack on the
NUJ in Warri by some self-styled ex-militants, Alabrah said that the amnesty
office have no such people in its list as ex-agitators. He insisted that anybody
parading himself as ex-militant, who does not receive the monthly stipend as at
when due is an impostor. He stated that the amnesty office does not owe anybody
under its DDM programme.
Unfortunately, Customs, tradition and cultures are hideouts for atrocities and blatant breach of the human rights of ALL Moslem and Christian TRADITIONAL RULERS in Nigeria.The funeral rites of Ogun State Traditional Monarchs (ALL OBAS) remain a secret, a Taboo subject.No one dare speak about how they are laid to rest, if one can say Oba Oyebade Lipede or Oba Funsho Adeolu (ELEYINMI) of ODE -REMO has been laid to rest.This practice is not uncommon in significant parts of Yorubaland of Nigeria. Whilst many potential victims bury their heads in the sand and console themselves with ''what happens after my death is no concern of mine''This is a sufficient reason why it should be the concern of all law abiding Nigerian Citizens to represent the potential victims of customary rituals most especially the Monarchs in areas where customary rituals, idolatry are of concern, with a particular focus on currently serving Yoruba Kings who following their death are at risk of becoming victims of barbaric, secretive, valueless, obnoxious, fake and unfounded customary rituals.What we know is that the body of Late Oba Funsho Adeolu was brutalised, treated like that of a criminal, dragged around on the streets of the town, his head left hanging for many weeks until the neck was rotten to allow the neck to come off naturally without the use of a sharp knife. Once the head came off, the body was cut into pieces, his heart removed to be eaten by his successor. His head is still in captivity somewhere in Ode Remo, Ogun State. He has no grave.
ReplyDeleteWe are told the Kings of of Remo-land (Ogun State, Nigeria) are not entitled to an identifiable final place of rest, so do not have graves - a tradition which is not in accordance with the practice in ILE IFE or in OYO, the historical origin and source of all Yorubas including those from Remo-land.
The perpetrators of the fake, barbaric, and uncivilised inhumane act against the remains of dead Kings of Yorubaland are a group of individuals who are Slaves known as Afobajes / Kingmakers, Abobakus (destined to die with the King) Olokunesin known as Odis (slaves) of Ode Remo / Ijebu-land.
This sensitive and controversial issue requires a law to give all Monarchs the right to opt out of customary rituals during installation and funeral rites, as well as curtail the powers of the ritualists - Afobajes, Odis, slaves, and Abobakus, who once upon a time would have been buried whole with my late Kabiyesi.
Nowadays, there is a Chief's Law which provides for the appointment and approval of Obas. Consequently Obas are fully part of a democratic system of governance, which does not approve of Choice By "Ifa" (Eeefah).
There is no shred of evidence in line with the YORUBA - "IFA" religious doctrine which recommends the way in which Oba Funso Adeolu's remains were treated.We a need a legislation to eradicate this fake uncivilised cultural practice - perhaps, "TRADITIONAL RULERS (Installation & Burial Rites Law)." This law shall give the Traditional rulers the right to opt out of any Installation rite or process which does not conform to his religion or belief and give instructions as to the disposal of body in accordance with religion or belief.
for further info: e-mail yorubacustomaryrituals@yahoo.com or send a text to +447985194089(UK)
Hon. Alderman Erelu Lola Ayonrinde (Conservative UK)
Erelu Tunwase of ODE- REMO (Ogun State Nigeria)