Warri — Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Anotech Global Company Nigeria Limited, Warri, Tony Okoh, has said that the positive impact of the Federal Government"amnesty programme has started to manifest in the Niger delta region.

"There is now free movement in the waterways," he said.

Okoh made the statement,while speaking at the weekend with newsmen in Warri, Delta State , saying that in no distant time, the whole country would begin to reap from the fruit of the program.

He however , appealed to the Federal Government to live up to the part of her bargain by ensuring that the promises it made to the people of the region, particularly, the ex-militants of massive development of the region is not treated with kids glove.

He warned that the country may be thrown into a worst situation that it has never seen before now if the Federal Government fails to deliver on the agreement it reached before the full embrace of the amnesty programmed by the people of the Niger Delta region.

Okoh called on the Federal Government to withdraw with immediate effect, the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) code named Operation Restore Hope from the region as peace has permanently come back to the one time volatile zone.

He stressed that the people are more than ever before, committed to peace and development.

He noted that the presence of the numerous checkpoints along the waterways paints a picture of a war torn zone, adding that the only thing that would make the people believe that they are not being singled out for punishment is the immediate recall of the JTF.

He advocated that rather than the continued deployment of the military for security on the waterways, the Marine Police which is the legal entity saddled with the responsibility should be deployed for this purpose.

"The idea of the amnesty is a beautiful one because it has helped in no small measure to improve on the peace in the Niger Delta region.

"Now that amnesty is in place, everybody is moving freely doing their legitimate businesses because those involved knows that if any thing happens, they will be held responsible. Therefore, they are working with government to maintain the peace."

"But we will continue to pray that government keeps its side of the bargain by developing the region. We need massive infrastructure, bridges, employment and empowerment of the people of the region. If these are done, the people will continue to build faith on government.

"But if not done, we should expect a worst situation than we had experienced in the past", Okoh reiterated.