The leaders reportedly made up of 60 per cent of the first phase leaders of the Amnesty programme, under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative (LPCDI), also urged President Buhari, to compel oil multinationals to engage youths from the region in gainful employment so as to sustain the ongoing peace in the Niger Delta.
According to the National President of the group, Reuben Wilson, the region has benefited from peace and stability initiatives of the Buhari-led administration.
The leaders further pleaded with the President to help and complete the East-West road which has become a death trap, causing several loses of lives and damaging vehicles.
They also asked the current administration to look into the Ogoni clean-up to ensure the project is successfully completed.
“The oil companies working in the region should be compelled to engage the youths in the area in their operations to avoid restiveness. Such measures will bring pipeline vandalism to an end”.
Thd ex-militants also called for unity of purpose among political office holders in the Niger Delta to advance the course of development in the region.
”However, in case where such public office holder refuses to do the right thing, we should take the option of paying a personal visit to the person and state our grievances rather than resorting to open slandering over the media”.
The group hailed President Buhari for the support he has given people from the South-South region to occupy important positions in the country. The gesture has led to the emergence of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as the Deputy Senate President of the Nigerian Senate.
Other leaders occupying key positions from the region include Chief Timipre Sylva (Minister of State for Petroleum Resources), Senator Godswill Akpabio (Minister of Niger Delta Affairs), Rotimi Amaechi (Minister of Transport), Dr. Osagie Ehanire (Minister of Health) Festus Keyamo, (Minister of State for Labour), Godwin Agba (Minister of State for Power), and Senator Ita Enang ( Senior Special Assistant to President on Niger Delta Affairs) among a host of others.
“We thank President Buhari for the love he has shown the region by giving those appointments to our brothers, we also call on him to do more by engaging more of our youth as we promise him our total support. The group is also using this opportunity to plead with our aggrieved brothers to channel all their complaint properly instead of taking laws into their hands. We cannot achieve development if we do not embrace peace,” the group said.
