Presidential amnesty office to begin paying out stipends to Niger Delta militants today

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari's special adviser on the Niger Delta and the coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Brigadier Paul Boroh has revealed that former militants will start receiving their stipends as from today.
Under an amnesty programme first launched by late President Umaru Yar'Adua, Niger delta militants were paid a monthly stipend in exchange for

                                              laying down their weapons and embracing peace. They were then offered training on a range of skills and granted scholarships as part of a scheme to rehabilitate them economically.Upon assuming office in May last year, President Buhari has resolved to keep the amnesty programme going and appointed Brigadier Boroh to head it. According to Brigadier Boroh, the militants will be paid as from today August 1, so he called on them to stop the planned protests scheduled to hold later on.Brigadier Boroh said: “President Buhari attaches so much importance to the Amnesty Programme, which explains why the president in his inaugural address to the nation specifically promised to invest heavily in the projects and programmes currently in place for the ex-agitators in the region. President Muhammadu Buhari, is already putting together a youth development and empowerment package that would directly impact the ex-agitators and other youths in the region.” He added that the federal government planned to improve the amnesty programme for the benefit of the 30,000 ex-militants and other youths in the region. Of late, militancy has returned to the Niger Delta, which new armed groups springing up and promising to stop all oil production in the region.