Opinion: Scrapping of the amnesty programme, putting the cart before the horse – By TARILA THOMPSON

My thoughts exactly, I have my reservations since this winding down cat started flying. I had proffered that rather than completely scrap  the program it should be totally redesigned to support capacity building and the social industry in the region to meaningfully engage these youths who for lack of it may resort to many other vices that’s already saturated the crime space in the Niger Delta call it by-product of the agitation.

If the NDDC and the so called ministry of the Niger Delta have performed credibly there would have been no need to float  an amnesty program in the first place.

 

Am sure that the federal government and the general public  have started to realise that  the oil theft issues was not as a result of the kpo fire crumps that the boys were using to sustain themselves but by an organised crime syndicates with high profile Nigerians and their allies in Europe, UK and USA. Tompolo has single handedly achieved what a supposedly sophisticated government security system couldn’t achieve all the while and suddenly the government is seemingly developing cold feet to curb this criminality. Looks more like Tompolo is overdoing their  bidding. His mind blowing discoveries have been so under reported and the discoveries are fizzling out.

 

The truth is, the infighting by some greedy sons of the soil over funds from  the amnesty  program has given the government the windows it long  awaited to deny the youths of  this well conceived life line initiative by the late president Yar’adua of blessed memory . Don’t come and tell me about an initial 5year plan, government is a continue and the lack of it is illogical.

 

The big question is scrapping of the amnesty program to what benefit.