Nigeria: Again, Governors and the Amnesty Plan

11 August 2009
editorial

Lagos — After what looked like a threat to the entire amnesty plan announced by the Federal Government, the reversal of the position of the Niger Delta governors, has rekindled hope that the peace plan could, after all, yield some fruits.

The region's governors had threatened to withdraw their support for the amnesty plan because of what they perceived as the disrespect of the Federal Government for the people of the Niger Delta. They had specifically complained about the newly presented Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which removed the five percent royalty to host communities. They also raised alarm over the planned relocation of the University of Petroleum Technology from Effurun, Delta State to Kaduna. Additionally, they expressed concern over Federal Government's silence on post-amnesty plan for the militants who are expected to surrender their arms and renounce the struggle as part of the amnesty deal.

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