Useni, in a national newspaper (not Daily Sun) had queried the rationale behind government’s decision to pay repentant militants in the Niger Delta who hitherto took up arms against the government. Ogunboss, while speaking to Daily Sun exclusively in Yenagoa described Useni’s statement as the height of insensitivity to the plight of the Niger Delta people by a former public officer.
According to him, it is the statements and actions of people like Useni that have continued to create instability in Nigeria, while preventing a holistic solution to the crisis in the troubled region.
He said it was Useni and his cohorts in the military that stifled democracy in Nigeria and brought the myriads of problems being faced by the country. On Federal Government’s amnesty programme, Ogunboss said the programme is heading for the rocks unless government demonstrates more sincerity in the handling of the process.
He decried the slow pace of development in the region since the militants embraced amnesty and surrendered their arms.
According to the militant leader, the amnesty exercise was the last option left for the Federal Government to restore lasting peace to the region, adding that its failure could spell doom for the country.
His words: “Is it over with amnesty. Maybe now that the disarmament and demobilization is over, the next critical stage would be rehabilitation and re-integration into society; implementation of the Niger Delta master plan; construction of East- West highway’ the Atlantic coastal highway, massive land reclamation and development of new towns. But we are still waiting. The payment of allowances to our boys by the amnesty committee is like a circus show. The boys are not being paid and the committee is trading with the allowances meant for them, Ogunboss lamented.
Government should show concern beyond the suspicion of foul play, because this could be the last opportunity to restore peace. The essential quality is to be able to smell the present peace in the Niger Delta from far and make it count.” He also took a swipe at those clamouring for ex-President Ibrahim Babangida to run for the Presidency in 2011, noting that Nigerians must be mobilized to stop the imposition of candidates on them.
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