A total of 1,895 ex-militants in Abia State will be excluded in the Federal Government Amnesty Programme for former militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta, the way the programme is currently structured.
The \House of Representatives on Tuesday thus advocated for their inclusion in the programme.
The House’s resolution came after consideration of the report of its Committee on Public Petitions, chaired by Hon. Uzo Azubuike, which heard the petition by over 5,000 ex-militants in Abia State over their non-inclusion in the amnesty programme.
The House, sitting at Committee on the Whole, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, also urged the ex-militants to remain law abiding while every necessary arraignment is made by the Federal Government to include them in the programme.
The committee report states: “The committee recommends that the House urges the Federal Government to integrate the 1,895 ex-militants in Abia State into the amnesty programme of the federal government after proper verification and documentation by relevant agency of the federal government. Urge the ex-militants to remain law abiding and patriotic citizens of Nigeria.”
After the consideration of the report, the House unanimously voted in favour of inclusion of the ex-militants from Abia State in the amnesty programme.
It will be recalled that the House at its sitting in November last year received a petition from over 5,000 ex militants in Abia State over their non-inclusion in the amnesty programme set up by the Federal Government for ex-militants in the Niger Delta.
Abia tates among the nine states that make up the Niger Delta, which is represented on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
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