Indigenes and stakeholders in Nigeria’s Niger Delta have proposed a restructuring of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to include state governments as partners.
The proposal was put forward on Tuesday at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives on a bill seeking to give legal backing to the amnesty programme.
Traditional rulers, state and federal government officials witnessed the public hearing on the bill titled ‘The Presidential Programme on Rehabilitation and Reintegration’.
The House Committee Chairman on Niger Delta Affairs, Representative Ayi Ekpeyong, hinted that the bill also sought the conclusion of the programme in an orderly manner with a proper exit date.
On his part, the House Deputy Minority Leader, Chukwuka Onyema, highlighted the importance of the bill.
The General Manager of Upstream at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Pollie Okoronkwo and a representative of the Delta State Government, Pascal Adigwe, identified the different parts of the bill they want amended.
In its response, the committee promised to consider all the positions presented towards contributing to the peace process and development of the Niger Delta region.
