By Emma Amaize
IMMEDIATE past national president of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, and Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, House of Representatives candidate for Patani/Bomadi Federal Constituency in Delta State, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, yesterday, called on the Federal Government to expand the scope of the post-amnesty programme to include non-violent youths.

Dr. Ekiyor, who was one of the principal negotiators of the arms surrender by key militant leaders with the Federal Government, commended the manner in which the present Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and chairman of the Post-Amnesty Implementation Committee,  Mr Kingsley Kuku, is performing his job.

He said, “the new drive and focus by Kuku are welcome. However, it is my view that the Federal Government must now give Special Adviser  the mandate  to accommodate new and willing unemployed Niger Delta youths,   who are interested in the programme of non-violent education, capacity building programs and sustainable development initiative.”

Dr. Ekiyor said the government should incorporate non-violent youths in the post-amnesty programme, otherwise, “more and more individuals will scoop up arms and ask for amnesty in order to be accommodated”.

“It is my view that the program should have a two -prong approach, one handling ex-militants and the other category of youths, who should benefit from the trainings available with a final view of ensuring  capacity for a Nigerian-driven technology in a couple of years”, he explained.

“As for the pocket of crisis here and there within are country”, he added, “most of them are now politically motivated, however all hands must be on deck to check the intransigent forces”.