Group Faults Yar'adua On Amnesty, Urges Reforms

Group Faults Yar'adua On Amnesty, Urges Reforms

A PACIFIST and pro-democracy group in the Niger Delta, Grassroots Initiative for Peace and Democracy (GIPD) says President Umaru Yar'Adua misfired in his handling of the issue of amnesty to insurgents of the oil and gas region, pointing out that what is needed most in the country at the moment is a comprehensive reform package.

The group claimed in a media chat yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, that the up-rising in the Niger Delta, and the various spate of sectarian killings in the country were due to a faulty foundation of Nigeria.

Executive Director of the group, Mr. Akinaka Richard, said President Yar'Adua should push for a comprehensive reform programmes in the country with a view to resolving all the socio-economic, religious, political, and environmental issues that always give rise to violent conflicts in the country.

According to the group, ''while we commend President Yar'Adua's efforts to bring to an end the crisis in the Niger Delta and the country at large, it is our opinion that, the various steps taken by his administration have not in any way shown any sincerity of purpose to bring to an end the dissident behavious capable of rising to a revolutional level in the Niger Delta.

''The problems in the Niger Delta are not in a vacuum but are rooted in the foundation of a faulty federal system of government operated in the country. This has led to the contineous expression of dissatisfactions through any means possible by those sections who had been marginalised by this faulty system of government''.

Continuing, they said, ''this gave rise to the emergence of pathfinders like Isaac Adaka Boro, and Ken Saro-Wiwa. For Mr. President to therefore, bring to an end the security problems capable of twarting the unity of this country, concrete measures should be taken to address the issues from the foundational level. Punitive efforts must be taken on the part of Mr. president to enthrone the ideals of a functional federal structure of government that will guarantee equal participation''.

On the amnesty promised insurgents by President Yar'Adua, the GIPD said, ''it is our position that, it is a welcomed development. However, we sincerely doupt the sincerity of the government. This is because, merely standing in a party gathering to make conditional statements on sensitive security issues of this kind without evolving appropriate ways of meeting those conditions on which the amnesty lies still left much to be desired''.

''As a grassroots-based organization poised to institutionalise a responsive and cordial relationship between government and the grassroots aimed at ensuring peace and strenghtening our fragile democracy, its our believe that peace is a golden thing and is sought for by everybody including the militants in the creeks. We want to, on this note, appael to Mr. president to go beyond making conditional promises and engage stakeholders in the region on concrete terms of the amnesty and the means through which the arms in the creeks can be retrieved'', they added.

It is also obvious that even if this militants are willing to drop their arms to get this amnesty, it will not be possible for them to do this with the heavy presence of men of the JTF the region. So government must as a matter of fact withdraw the military from some strategic locations to allow this programm succeed, seeing to the fact that the militant and men of the JTF see themselves as enemies.

Concerning the recent attacks and counter attacks, we advice that both the militants and the JTF should exercise restrain and see what Mr. President has to offer.

ENDS

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