CLARK TO FG: Don’t scrap Niger Delta Amnesty programme

The Federal Government has been urged not to distort the fragile peace in the Niger Delta region over the rumoured scrapping of the Presidential Amnesty programme.

The call was made on Monday by elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, also urged government to tread with caution when dealing with issues concerning the Niger Delta region.

Clark who gave the advice during a virtual press conference also recalled the he cautioned Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to tread cautiously on the Niger Delta Affairs 11 days ago.

He said, “I have cause to, again, advise or warn the Federal Government to desist from anything that will truncate the fragile peace that we have in the Niger Delta region.

READ ALSO: Buhari suspends coordinator of Amnesty Programme Dokubo

“I say this because, just yesterday (Sunday), rumours were rife that the four-man investigative panel headed by A. A. Lawal, set up by the Federal Government through the Office of the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.), to look into the activities of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), had recommended the scrapping of the programme by December this year.

“If this is true, it will be an epic example of what we say in local parlance ‘trouble dey sleep, yanga go wake am’. This is not a threat; it is stating the obvious of what will actually happen,” he noted.

Clark said that he was disturbed when he got wind of the planned scrapping of the PAP adding that he wondered why a region, which had contributed so much to economic growth of the country should be treated with so much disdain.

“Our living condition in the region has worsened. The PAP should be allowed to continue for some more time. I wish to advise the Federal Government to tread cautiously, except they have prepared another Operation Crocodile Smile. Wake not a sleeping lion. This is not a threat; it is a clarion call for peace,” he stated.

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