By Kenneth Ehigiator
Efforts by about 1,500 former militants in the Niger Delta to get enlisted into Federal Government’s post-amnesty programme may have hit the rocks, as government, weekend, foreclosed further extension of the deadline.

This came as 24 more former militants Saturday, left the shores of the country for oil and gas drilling training at Petroskills, Houston, Texas, United States.

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kinglsey Kuku, who dropped hints of the foreclosure at the pre-departure media briefing for the 24 trainees in Lagos, weekend, said government had initially fixed October 4, 2009, deadline, which saw 20,192 former militants enlisting into the amnesty programme, adding that a further extension enabled another 6,126 others to join the programme.

According to him, those angling to join the programme came from virtually all the states in the Niger Delta.

He said the initial skepticism that trailed the programme informed why many former militants  refused to key into the programme earlier.

Kuku said, “I am aware that over 1,000 to 1,500 people, are now ready to accept the amnesty programme. They are from Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Ondo, Delta and all over.  They have seen how  successful the programme has been.

“I do not want to blame anybody because when the amnesty was proclaimed, in August 25, 2009, people did not believe that it was going to be a reality,” he added.

“October 4, 2009, being the deadline, 20,192 people accepted amnesty, they were received by the federal government, and the process for demobilisation was on, not longer that six , seven months another round of agitation, was on, and another 6,126 youths who further agitated were admitted into the programme, following the approval of President Goodluck Jonathan, who understands the entire concept of amnesty.

“The president gave approval for the additional 6,126, and now another round of agitation is on again, I think, that we cannot keep going on like that, there has been a deadline for amnesty, it has been over, people cannot come from everywhere to say they must be included in the amnesty programme.

“However, it is only the president , that has the singular right and power to include or refuse to include, or deny inclusion for anybody into this programme, I have not received any instruction or directive from the president