Boroh: Some ex-militants are now lawmakers in Rivers and Bayelsa

Paul Boroh coordinator of the presidential amnesty programme, says the success of the amnesty initiative are unquantifiable, revealing that some of its beneficiaries are now members of Rivers and Bayelsa houses of assembly and chairmen of local governments.

Boroh said this in an interview with NAN on Wednesday.

He said that the success of the programme had swelled the ranks of thousands of armed youths seeking to lay down their arms and lead a normal life.

He said that besides 30,000 youths being paid monthly stipends, 2,152 Niger Delta youths had been given full scholarship under the amnesty programme.

The scholarships are to enable them study in 32 higher institutions abroad across five continents, including Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

He added that 2,723 youths from the Niger Delta had been given full scholarship to study in 32 Nigerian universities while 76 of them had graduated from Novena University, Ogume in Delta State this year.

“A total of 728 beneficiaries are in their final year and are expected to graduate this year,” he said.

“This list includes 405 from the Benson Idahosa University, expected to graduate in June while 206 in Igbinedion University are expected to complete their studies in October this session.

“Another 115 from Lead University, Ibadan, are expected to graduate in August 2016.”

According to the coordinator, the expected graduates this session will save the programme approximately N1.2 billion which can be ploughed back to train a backlog of beneficiaries.

Boroh also pleaded with ex-militants not to be agitated over the delay in the payment of outstanding allowances.

He blamed the situation on the non-receipt of budgetary allocation by the amnesty office, but said his office was working assiduously to engage with the relevant agencies of government, to ensure the release of all accrued allocations.

“I want to assure the ex-militants under the programme that arrangements are being made to fast-track the payment of their stipends as soon as the amnesty office receives its allocation,” he said.

Boroh said the federal government was aware of the pains the ex-militants were going through and will ensure that they get their stipends soon.