BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

WARRI: With the impact of COVID -19 on the economy President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to urgently appoint a Coordinator for the Presidential Amnesty programme to save youths from going back to the creeks.

National Coordinator Ijaw in Oil and Gas, Comrade Ebipams Johnny in a statement in Warri, Delta State said the President should ensure a competent hand was appointed, adding that with the recession already witnessed in the economy as a result of COVID -19 the President should quickly appoint a coordinator for the amnesty office to take care of youths in the Niger Delta region

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“This is again a clarion call for the presidency to begin strategizing on sustaining safe operations void of vandalism in our Oil and Gas operations with the fall in crude oil price and the politics that has beclouded the Presidential Amnesty Program. “, he said.

“Our position as Ijaw professionals in Oil and Gas is to reiterate the obvious that recession is imminent after this PANDEMIC and feelers from our youths and survey conducted in the Niger Delta region is that the Presidential Amnesty Program is yet to address the core reasons why militancy thrived before the 2009 Presidential offer for amnesty by the Yaradua led federal government.”, he said.

“We anticipate a reawakening of unrest in the region unless a competent hand with background knowledge of the ever-volatile region be appointed to pilot the Presidential Amnesty Program if not we are doomed and the national recession will be worse off in the committee of nations after the pandemic.”, he added.

“Our call is a noble one not only to avert a recurrence of 2009 but to be safe whilst in our different oil rigs and production platforms. We have enjoyed relative peace and would want a continuation until these our brothers are fully integrated back to the society. We won’t fold our hands as Oil and Gas workers in this region and watch another attack on oil facilities.”, he said