FG reads riot act to ex-militants

 …to stop allowances of defaulters

By Kenneth Ehigiator         

The Federal Government has drawn up a code of conduct for former militants sent overseas for training, threatening stiffer penalties for violators.

Government’s move came against the backdrop of recent untoward behaviour put up by some former militants currently undergoing training in Ghana and South Africa.

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Kingsley Kuku, who read the riot act to 42 former militants being sent to Sienna, South Africa, for training in various capacities in the ongoing re-integration process of the amnesty programme, said without signing the Code of Conduct document, none of the former militants would leave the shores of the country.

According to him, this is to prevent them from embarrassing the country while undergoing training abroad.

He said the present crop of trainees brought to 292, the number of former militants sent abroad for training, of the 26,358 former combatants, who dropped arms and accepted amnesty.

He also said that penalties for reprobate militants will include stopping their monthly allowances and stipends as well as withdrawing their certificates of amnesty and certificates for non-violence certificate from Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria, FEHN.

Kuku said:   “If you don’t sign the code of conduct form, you will not go to South Africa. You have to sign the form so that we can give it to the airport authority.

“You will also be met by the Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa once there and they will then drive you to your point of training.

“If there is any unruly behaviour by any of the former militants, we will stop all allowances and stipends to that person or group of persons. We will also withdraw the certificate of amnesty from that person,” he added.