Niger Delta Ex-agitators canvass support for Buhari's re-election

The Leader of Coalition of Niger Delta ex-Agitators, Phase II, Comrade Steve Ebisintei, has urged Niger Delta ex-agitators under phases one, two and three of Presidential Amnesty Programme to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election in 2019.

He also urged other critical stakeholders in the region to support the president’s re-election bid.

Ebisintei argued that stakeholders must rally round the r-eelection project of Buhari to enable the region benefit from the numerous programmes and projects of the president.

“President Buhari remains the only president since the return of democracy in 1999 who has initiated projects and programmes that are directly beneficial to the people of the Niger Delta,” he said in a statement.

He also called on the people of the area to support Prof. Quaker Dokubo, the Amnesty Office boss, whose influence and integrity had attracted major projects for the region.

Ahead of the forthcoming 2019 election, the ex-agitators’ leader maintained that the only option left for the region was to continue to support the president and Prof. Dokubo in their quest to elevate the youth of the region.

According to him, not supporting the re-election of Buhari will only hurt the region more “as many of the ongoing projects in the area may likely stop”.

Continuing, he said: “Without equivocation, I can tell you that more than ever before, the Federal Government under President Buhari has paid more attention to our devastated region than any other government at least since 1999.

“Today, modular refineries, which when completed will take over from illegal refiners and create jobs for our teeming youths are ongoing in the region.

“The East-West road, which had prior to now remained in the pipelines, has been progressing with appreciable speed and the Petroleum University at Okerenkoko in Delta is progressing in good measure.

“The Amnesty programme has been revived and expanded in the interest of youths of our region; it is the only programme that is targeted at the youth and it is evident that Prof. Dokubo has integrated more youths into the programme than any other Amnesty boss before him.

“Because of the sterling performance of Buhari’s administration in the area of peace-building, which has resulted in decrease in the spate of militancy in the region, the dark days of avengers and other militant groups in the region are in the past.

“All these achievements can be traced to the Midas touch of Prof. Quaker Dokubo and therefore, we as a region must encourage the amnesty boss by supporting Buhari.”

He said that no other sentiments should prevail in the region going into the 2019 election except the sentiments of visible performance and what could be seen on ground for the people of the region to benefit.

Ebisintei cautioned politicians from the region to avoid misleading youths for their own selfish political gains ahead of the 2019 elections.

He promised to work with other like-minded youths of the region to ensure the president’s re-election bid becomes a reality, as a way of repaying him for the good work so far done in the Niger Delta.