The Ijaw National Congress has called on the Federal Government to leave former Niger Delta militant leaders alone and avoid provoking any crisis or insecurity in the oil-rich region.The INC specifically said that former militant leaders in the region, like Chief Ateke Tom and others, should be encouraged to continue to preach peace to the youths of the region.

National Publicity Secretary of the INC, Mr. Victor Borubo, said in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Saturday that rather than attempt to engage in a witch-hunt of ex-militant leaders, the government should help to further integrate them into the economic development of the country.

It will be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had invited one of the former ex-agitators, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, to explain an alleged unclear dealings involving the sale of some parcels of land worth N13bn to the Federal Government under the immediate past administration.

Borubo, who spoke during an interactive forum with the Ijaw Youth Action Movement in Port Harcourt on Saturday, stated that Ateke Tom and other former Niger Delta militant leaders had embraced peace after surrendering their arms, adding that they (ex-fighters) were no longer interested in going back to the creeks.

“I want to pointedly call on the Federal Government not to engage in any witch-hunt, harassment or otherwise intimidation of Comrade Ateke Tom and other Niger Delta ex-militant leaders, who after surrendering their arms, according to the terms and agreement of the 2009 Amnesty deal, have maintained a low profile.

“We are living witnesses to the role of the Comrade Ateke Tom to broker peace between various factions of Ijaw youths during the Ijaw Youth Council crisis in 2013. A man who worked so actively with Ijaw National Congress to build peace should be encouraged to maintain peace.

“We should therefore not deliberately provoke or instigate crisis for political ends and throw the Niger Delta into another round of violence and insecurity. The ex-agitators should be further integrated into the socio-calendar and economic development of society. All Nigerians must guard against the criminalisation of choice,” he added.

The INC spokesperson urged the youths to shun violence, adding that elections in Rivers and Bayelsa states were not yet over at some levels.

Borubo pointed out that the people should be allowed to make their choices whenever elections were to hold in the two states, saying, “Recent political developments in Rivers and Bayelsa states indicated that elections at some levels and in some locations are not over yet.

“It is therefore necessary to emphasize that the sanctity of choice granted our citizens should not be abridged by undue influences through the use of federal might or incumbency factor, as the case may be.”

Punch….

This page has been viewed 299 times