By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN — OIL producing communities in Edo State have condemned what they described as deliberate exclusion of their people from  the post-amnesty committee set up by the federal government.

The communities warned that such attitude may derail the amnesty programme, particularly when it is perceived that only a particular ethnic group was being favoured.

Commending President Umaru Yar’Adua and General Godwin Abbe for their efforts at ensuring that the amnesty programme was a success, the communities stressed the need to involve all oil producing communities in the region in the post-amnesty programme, since they all have their different problems confron-ting them as a result of oil exploration and exploitation.

A leader from the oil-rich Oben community of Orhiom-nwon local government area of the state, Princess Nowm-wengho Uhunmwangho, speaking on behalf of the communities, said, “because we do not breed militants in our communities does not mean we do not know what we are doing.”

We have intellectual militants and you know that it is more dangerous.

“Though we commend the efforts of the federal government so far, it is sad that nobody from the oil producing communities in Edo State was included in the post-amnesty committee.

“We are all aware that Oben, where I come from, is the highest producer of gas in West Africa and Nigeria is exporting it now to other African countries, but no one from there was appointed in the committee. Oben also is the highest oil producing community in the state.

“So it is not fair that nobody from any of the oil producing communities in Edo State was included in any of the committees. We know how we have been able to stop our youths from engaging in militancy but it seems we are being taken for granted.

“We  seriously pray for the quick recovery of the President so that he will be able to complete the good work he has started in the Niger Delta.

“We must not give the impression that any particular ethnic group is more superior to others in the post- amnesty programme so that the efforts of the president will not be jeopardized.”