Buhari To Keep Amnesty Programme For Niger Delta Militants

President Buhari promised on Sunday to keep an amnesty programme going for Niger delta militants in an effort to halt attacks on oil refineries that have seriously halted oil production in the country.

The programme has been controversial since its inception in 2009 – and even though Buhari had vowed to eradicate the programme by 2018, he has now said that they would keep going with the programme and re-engineer the entire programme.

The programme pays a monthly stipend to around 30 000 former militants. It also aims to offer them various training opportunities.

The recent influx of attacks on oil producing facilities in the area has caused the country’s oil output to drop the the lowest ever recorded level.

Buhari, however, believes that the amnesty programme could aid in this regard, even though many believe that the programme is an unnecessary cost.

“…[sic] The recent spate of attacks by militants disrupting oil and power installations will not distract us from engaging leaders in the region…Re-engineering the amnesty programmes is an example of this,” Buhari said in his televised speech yesterday.

The televised speech of yesterday marked one year since the ex-military man himself took office as the president of Nigeria.