The President of the National Association of Seadogs, Mr. Arthur Boje, has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to tackle infrastructure deficit in the Niger Delta region to stem the rising wave of insurgency by militants.
Boje, who spoke in an interview on Friday, said agitators would have no reason to be rebellious if basic infrastructure were made available.
He also said the ongoing anti-corruption crusade would help cleanse the ‘dented’ image of the country in the developed world.
According to Boje, instead of granting amnesty, the focus should be on developing infrastructure in the region as the idea of pardoning militant groups has encouraged the emergence of new agitators.
He alleged that the bulk of those agitating in the region were mainly doing that for their selfish reasons, not for the benefits of the communities.
He said, “The Niger Delta Avengers believe that they have some form of control over oil pipelines that passes through their communities – that is why they are fighting. At the end of the day, they are actually looking for amnesty and compensation, they are not really fighting for the interest of the communities but their pockets.
“If the government now grants amnesty, some other groups will emerge. But the government could use a double-edged sword to address the issue of militancy by dealing with the infrastructure devastation in the region.”
The Punch
November 12, 2016
