Ijaw leader and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, said the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) brought about stability to the Niger Delta region, describing the current status as a boost for the nation’s economy.
Clark said this in a communique signed by the Pan Niger Delta Forum Board of Trustees Secretary, Godknows Igali and made available to journalists on Thursday.
The communique was jointly adopted by Clark; PAP Interim Administrator, Major General Barry Ndiomu (retd); representatives of PANDEF; Ijaw National Congress; ex-agitators and other prominent stakeholders of the Niger Delta region.
“The Presidential Amnesty Programme has brought relative and sustainable peace for oil and gas activities to thrive, a situation which is in the overall well-being of the national economy. It has remained a major booster to the critical oil and gas industry, from which the country earns most of its revenue,” he said.
Clark reaffirmed that the PAP, which was instituted by late ex-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2009, has played a major role in bringing peace, security and stability to the Niger Delta region, which at the time was challenged by an upsurge of militant activities.
The amnesty programme was also urged to “be inclusive, to cover all properly accredited delegates, and improved conditions for its implementation, as regards the welfare of beneficiaries” in line with the economic realities of the country.
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