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With about a week to go before the Federal Government's amnesty offer for Niger Delta militants expires, the rebel Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said yesterday that Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka would lead three other eminent Nigerians on its behalf to dialogue with the Federal Government on its amnesty programme. But Defence Minister General Godwin Abbe swiftly rejected MEND's moves, saying the Federal Government would not adjust its October 4 amnesty deadline and would not enter into any new negotiations.
Daily Independent (Lagos)
Lagos/Abuja - Wole Soyinka was on Tuesday named by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) among those to negotiate with Abuja on disarmament, bringing credibility to the process, as well as hope of a lasting peace in the Deep South.
Yenagoa - The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) yesterday dismissed the Federal Government's amnesty as lacking integrity, even as it nominated a team of mediators to negotiate with government over the disarmament programme.
Port Harcourt - More than 200 militants yesterday at Okehi rehabilitation camp in Rivers State protested the non payment of their monthly allowances by the management of the Social Development Institute (SDI) funded by the Rivers State Government.
Abuja - A PRESIDENTIAL review meeting on the implementation of the Amnesty programme attended by all stakeholders including officials of the Amnesty panel and Governors of the affected states was convened by President Umaru Yar'Adua with Vice President Goodluck Jonathan in attendance, yesterday rose with a resolution that the October 4, 2009 deadline for all militants to surrender their arms remains unchanged.
analysis
The resolution of the Niger Delta question is prominently etched as one of the seven-point agenda of the Umaru Yar'Adua administration. However, crystallizing a solution to the Niger Delta question remains a myriad like other notable elements of the seven-point agenda such as power, wealth creation and security.
Daily Independent (Lagos)
Lagos/Warri/Asaba - Seven days to the deadline for militants to drop their arms and accept amnesty, Abuja at the weekend warned that none would be treated with mercy after October 4.
Leadership (Abuja)Abuja - As the deadline of the amnesty programme draws to a close, the Federal Government has being enjoined to demonstrate sincerity and toll the path of honour in implementing the amnesty to repentant militants in the Niger Delta.
This Day (Lagos)Lagos - When president Umaru Musa Yar' Adua had on June 25, 2009 proclaimed the state pardon for the Niger-Delta militants, many avid political watchers saw the drive as a mere failure and nothing more.
Though the amnesty deal commenced officially on the 6th of August 2009 when many amnesty centres were opened in the Niger Delta States for militants to come out from their hiding in creeks to register and bring out their sophisticated arms and ammunition. Some groups in the Niger- Delta region still believed that the amnesty offer couldn't solve the problems of the region.
Vanguard (Lagos)Calabar - Groups that go by the names Bakassi Freedom Fighters (BFF) and Bakassi Salvation Front (BSF) surrendered weapons to the Federal Government at the Bakassi local government area secretariat in Bakassi, Cross River State weekend.