Yenagoa — Governors of the 36 states of the federation yesterday said they were in full support of the Federal Government's policy on deregulation of the downstrean sector of the petroleum industry.

However, the governors said what the Federal Govern-ment needed to do was to sensitise the public on the philisophy and benefits of the policy.

In a communique at the end of the Governor's Forum in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State capital, read by the Chairman of the forum and Kwara State Govenor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, the state chief executives also expressed support for the amnesty and post-amnesty programmes.

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua had said last week that there was no going back on deregulation, though the take-off date of the policy is not too clear yet.

The governors called on the ex-militants to support the rehabilitation programme.

They said the rehabilitation programme may be delayed because of checks and balances in a democratic setting.

A national newspaper had reported yesterday that some ex-militant leaders were planning to suspend talks with the Federal Government over the post-amnesty programme.

The ex-militants namely Chief Government Ekepemukpolo (alias Tompolo) and Ateke Tom were reported as saying they were tired of "presidential talk shows" without any discernible progress.

The forum agreed to appeal to the Federal Government to expedite action on areas needing emergency, adding that there was the need to improve on information disemination to educate and enlighten the grassroots on what the government was doing on the post-amnesty programme.

Saraki said it was in solidarity with the governors of the Niger Delta over the amnesty programme that the forum decided to take its meeting to Yenagoa.

The governors also said they would collaborate with the Nigerian Economic Group (NEG) on private sector-led economic think-tank for the purpose of participating in the country's economic agenda.

On the security situation in the country, the forum condemned those it described as seditious writers and called on the security agencies to be alert to their responsibilities.

On illegal bunkering, the forum said those behind the criminal activities should be decisively dealt with as deterrent to others.

The forum also plans to organise first national round table on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) that would help state and local governments to improve their IGR to augment the shortfall accruing to them from the Federation Account.

Meanwhile, the relative peace in the Niger Delta which is a result of the Federal Government's amnesty programme must be sustained in the long term by producing highly educated Niger Delta youths that can man the oil industry, Vice-President, Goodluck Jonathan has said.

According to Jonathan, the next phase of the struggle as initiated by the government would provide education for youths in the sciences in order to spur rapid development in the troubled region.

Jonathan spoke the mind of the Federal Government yesterday when he made a surprise appearance at the Governor's Forum.

"The next level of the struggle is to know about the sciences. We must now think about how we can study the sciences to produce our technology in our universities," he said.

He maintained that Nigeria could not continue to rely heavily on foreign technology while it has a large population that could be tutored to produce what it imports and consumes.

"We must think of how we can now study how to produce these things," he added.

The vice-president re-assured Nigerians that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua is committed to the development of the Niger Delta. He stressed that the peace and stability of the region and the entire country would not be politicized.

He urged Nigerians to rise up to the challenge of managing the country's resources rather than engage in ventures that are counter-productive and unsustainable. Jonathan who expressed joy that the Governors' Forum was held in Bayelsa State noted that the state chief executives have key roles to play in the consolidation of democracy.

He however noted that the third tier of government, the local government, is very weak, adding that this is a challenge to the country.

"The local governments are very weak. It is a big challenge to us to really look at how we can strengthen this tier of government," he said. He also praised the 36 state governors for supporting the Federal Government, adding that the location of the meeting was a proof that peace had indeed returned to the Niger Delta.

"One of the main reasons of the Yenagoa meeting is the affirmation of the peace that has returned. This is a clear demonstration that the area is peaceful," said Goodluck.

Also speaking, Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva said peace in the Niger Delta is central to Nigeria's stability. He stated that Nigeria had demonstrated to the world that it is capable of resolving its problems without external assistance.

He emphasized that all Nigerians have a role to play given that investments made in the Niger Delta would be beneficial to the whole country.

Chairman of the Forum, Saraki, expressed support for the post amnesty programme. He congratulated President Yar'Adua, Jonathan and people of the Niger Delta for the successful implementation of the amnesty initiative.

Governors of Edo, Delta, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Benue, Cross River, Adamawa, Kaduna, Sokoto, Jigawa were in attendance. Others were Kogi, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Rivers, Osun and Oyo who were represented by their deputies.