We Have Nothing To Hide – Kingsley Kuku (Presidential Amnesty Chairman)
Hon. Kingsley Kuku
The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, yesterday in Abuja said he welcomed the plan by the House of Representatives to probe the programme. He said the Amnesty Office has nothing to hide.
According to him, the mandate of the office does not include security duties in the Niger Delta or anywhere else in the country.
Kuku was reacting to Wednesday’s resolution of the House of Representatives to investigate the Presidential Amnesty Programme following the recent attacks on Agip facilities by a group claiming to be the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).
Addressing reporters, the special adviser noted that the Amnesty Office has been discharging its assigned duties to the best of its abilities.
He said though most of the former militants had embraced the Amnesty programmes, it does not preclude the fact that some other aggrieved persons would not foment trouble.
Restating his preparedness to hold talks with any aggrieved youth from the Niger Delta, Kuku urged those causing trouble to embrace non-violent and peaceful means of expressing their grievances.
He said: “Let all aggrieved persons anywhere in Nigeria seek and embrace non-violent and peaceful ways to express themselves. This government, under Goodluck Jonathan, has shown that it has the capacity to listen and act in the greater good of the citizenry.
“I have called this conference to assure Nigerians that the Amnesty Office has been discharging, to the best of its abilities, the responsibilities and mandate assigned to it and as enshrined in the Amnesty Proclamation.
“Indeed, if we were charged with security duties, perhaps we would have pursued same doggedly and I can assure you that profound results would have been achieved by now.
“Beyond the fact that we do not have security duties, it must be made clear that aspects of the Amnesty Proclamation, which deals with the development of critical infrastructural in the Niger Delta, is domiciled in the Ministry of the Niger Delta, while the Petroleum equity component is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum.
“For example, I am aware that a number of the ex-agitators have secured pipeline protection and surveillance jobs from the Ministry of Petroleum. Details of this can only be sourced from the Ministry of Petroleum, since this office is not involved at all.
“As the Special Adviser to the Prersident on Niger Delta, I am, on a daily basis, in touch with leaders and stakeholders in the Niger Delta. They are clearly of the view that the Amnesty Programme is making the desired impact in the zone.
“I am also very proud of the fact that our humble efforts at the Amnesty Office have helped to save the economy of our dear country from imminent collapse…”
Short URL: http://nigerdeltareporters.com/blog/?p=1172
Posted by Niger Delta Reporter
on Feb 10 2012. Filed under PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY PROGRAM.
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All militant Generals which embrace the amnesty programme ll bear with federal Government
am pleading that kingsley kuku the amnesty chairman,should reconsider those militants who did not accept amnesty inicially so that they will not start another violence in niger delta
This amnesty program was made for d benefit of all d people in niger Delta.but d way we aer looking this program is been benefitng by only some peoples.pls Hon kuku and our leaders,pls look into this problem.frm Kelvin