The National Chairman of Phase 2 in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Amb. Kingsley Muturu has said that ex-agitators in the phase would not be part of the ongoing nationwide protest.

Muturu, who was the candidate of the All Progressive Congress Congress, APC in the Bomadi State Constituency for 2023 general elections stated this in a statement after a joint emergency meeting of phase 2 and 3 on Wednesday in Warri, Delta State.

He said: “Every Nigerian or a group of Nigerians have the constitutional leverage to protest or express their individual or collective concern over any national confrontation or issue. Thus, we, the entire membership of phase 2 under my leadership will not assert that, they are wrong to do so.

“However, as a group, well recognized in the Amnesty Programme which is more acquainted with the situations besetting our nation at present, will not join or be an integral unit of the protest. To us, it is sarcastically framed by some unscrupulous instruments to advance their personal or cooperative interest at the expense of the nation’s present value system.

“We condemn the so called protest in its entirety and summon all our law abiding members not to support it, because the historical data on protest in this country at our disposal, taking the ” ENDSARS” as a case study, has not been favourable to both the public and the private sector.

“There are a lot of corporate entities and small and medium scale entrepreneurs that had been led into solvency, consequent upon the aftermath of protests in the history of this country. Our protests are not democratic at any point in time in this country.

“Protests in Nigeria usually open doors for individuals or groups of misfits to assume advantage of the day, without fulfilling the public concerned intentions and objectives. Our protests always end in looting, killing and destruction of public and private properties which serves as a serious menace to our economic and national growth and development in the country.

As EX-AGITATORS of Phase 2 of the Amnesty Programme, we also condemn it, because it has some traces of lottery of political brokers who couldn’t make their way into government in the 2023 general elections, mostly from the opposition wing. We thus, use this medium to warn such politicians not to wreak mayhem in the country, especially at this trying phase of our nationhood.

“Our boss, Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro, the administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme has equally made a Press Release, toeing the line of other well-meaning Nigerians, calling on all EX-AGITATORS and other youths in the country to refrain from the proposed protest, and seek for dialogue as a means to all their ends.

“Wherefore, we, as one of the chief organs of the programme would not move and act contrary to the clarion call on us by him to shun the proposed protest. On this note, we have unanimously resolved to refrain from this protest, and use same means to appeal to all youths in the country, essentially, the youths in the Nigeria Delta to cease from carrying out the protest.

“Also note, Nigeria as a nation needs peace to survive at present. Thus, we will not delve into any action that would become harmful to our harmonious state of existence. We should all embrace peace. This will enable the government at all levels to be focused on the mandate given to them.

“ln conclusion, the proposed protest is untimely and anti-societal hence, we as members of phase 2 of the Presidential Amnesty Programme will not be part of it. We stand with our boss.