By Grace Udofia

Abuja- Niger Delta ex-militant leader, Ebikamowei Victor Ben, alias Boyloaf, has warned politicians to steer clear of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, or they would trigger another round of avoidable crisis in the region.

Boyloaf

Boyloaf described the amnesty programme as a security package that had brought peace and stability to the Niger-Delta region.

In a statement released in Abuja, he pointed that any attempt by those he described as selfish and greedy politicians to hijack the amnesty programme from the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Gen. Paul Boroh, would trigger another round of avoidable crisis in the region.

The former militant leader said he was concerned about subterranean moves being made by some politicians to destabilise the gains made by the leadership of the programme.

He said these politicians see the office as their birthright from where they must derive maximum pecuniary gains for doing nothing.

Boyloaf who did not name the politicians involved in the alleged plot, however said that the major stakeholders who surrendered arms under the amnesty programme, were satisfied with the efforts so far made by Gen. Boroh to reintegrate and empower the delegates and would not allow the plan to succeed.

Boyloaf said, “We are satisfied that Boroh is working closely with the main actors to bring about the needed peace and reintegration in the Niger Delta. We hereby warn against any attempt by politicians to turn the programme into a centre for settlement and political gains. Let the politicians look elsewhere for benefits.

“Anything that distracts from the original concept of using the amnesty office to cater for those who surrendered arms and accepted amnesty by promptly paying them their stipends and empowering them to stand on their own, would trigger new lease of crisis, which we don’t want.

“We demand that all peace-loving Nigerians should join hands with the SA on Niger Delta to ensure the success of the amnesty programme to bring about the needed peace, unity and stability in the region,” Boyloaf pleaded.