WARRI—CHAIRMAN of the Senate Committee on Niger-Delta, Senator James Manager, yesterday said it was time freedom fighters in the Niger-Delta accepted amnesty and give chance to their elected representatives in government to intellectually carry on the agitation from where their guns have brought the struggle so far.

Briefing his constituents in Warri, Senator Manager, who represents Delta South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, said  it was unquestionable that the freedom fighters have world attention to the Niger-Delta problem, but noted that there was time for everything and time for the freedom fighters to back down.

He expressed concern that militancy was affecting a lot of development in the country, noting that the nation’s hope of generating 6,000 megawatts of electricity by December would not be actualized if militants kept blowing up the gas pipelines in the region in the name of Niger-Delta struggle.

Senator Manager said he sponsored three bills so far in the Senate and that before the end of the year, work would resume on the Omadino-Okerenkoko-Escravos road, Ogbeye-Koko-Escravos road, Gbekebor-Gbaregolor-Ogulagha road and others.

He called on President Umaru Yar’Adua to prioritize his seven-point agenda and give massive infrastructural provision,   power development and road construction a boost.

The lawmaker also said the Senate was concerned about the electoral system and other matters that required constitutional amendment, adding that the matter would be in the front burner when the Senate resumes on September 29.