Comrade Mike Aroko, a former Niger Delta militant leader, has warned those who are thwarting the effort of the Federal Government to deliver on its promises of better life for the people to steer clear or else the repentant militants may be forced to go back to the creeks.
“As we take the path of peace, some Nigerians, believing that they’re born to rule, are thwarting the efforts of the government. Such people should be cautioned because if they put us under much pressure, we may be forced to return to the creeks, as was the case in the days of militancy,” he threatened.
On the amnesty programme, he stated that it was bait that the Federal Government dangled at the Niger Delta agitators to kill the original purpose of their agitation.
“The reasons for which we went into our agitation has not been addressed and the amnesty programme has not been successful. That is the situation at the moment,” he disclosed.
His main grouse is that the post-amnesty period has not been well coordinated leading to most of the beneficiaries’ future hanging on the balance.
“Many of these boys (ex-militants) were selectively sent on training. At the height of the struggle, there were some ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta region, which were not volatile although they supported the agitation mostly with the intellectual bent.
“When the amnesty programme commenced, most of these people were overlooked. Most of those that benefited from the programme were fortunate to be trained, but as we speak now, they’re there in the labour market with no job. That is the reason for the pocket of problems you notice in the region, which we, the leaders, are trying to diffuse.
“As the leader of the Forum for Urhobo Survival and Emancipation, I must confess that my group has not benefited much from the amnesty programme though we welcomed the programme, as we see it as a response to our yearnings.”
