FG to militants: Dialogue offer not a sign of weakness

Paul Boroh, coordinator of the presidential amnesty programme, says the offer of dialogue extended to militants is not an indication of weakness.

He said democracy allows people to ventilate their grievances, saying the federal government would look into the complaints of the pipeline vandals if they are genuine.

Boroh, who said some persons were trying to exploit the attack on the pipelines to cause tension in the region, revealed that his office was set to commence stakeholder engagements within and outside the region toward addressing the current situation.

“The call for persons with grievances to embrace dialogue is not an indication of weakness on the part of the government or managers of the amnesty programme,” he said.

“Rather, we are in a democracy and people should be allowed to ventilate their grievances without recourse to violence. If their complaints are genuine and reasonable, they will be looked into.”

He expressed confidence in the ability of the military and other security agencies to apprehend those behind the recent destruction of oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta.

Boroh advised communities to become more vigilant in order to protect, which he described as national assets located in the region.

“Security is everybody’s responsibility because the implications and consequences of insecurity equally affect everyone,” he said.

“The presidential amnesty programme is a security stabilisation programme and is not responsible for the placement and deployment of security personnel in the oil and gas facilities and assets of the federal government in the Niger Delta.

“Individuals and communities therefore have their role to play to complement government’s effort to ensure peace and security, which are sine qua non for development of the region.”

He implored the various stakeholders in the region to show utmost patriotism at a time the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had given a firm commitment to tackle the developmental and environmental challenges of the Niger Delta.

On Sunday, the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), an ex-militant group, advised the president to sack Boroh if wanted his government “to be in control of the oil war”.