Today marks a new beginning, today is the fulfilment of the dream. This begins the bright future of Bayelsa state and the Niger Delta. We are very grateful to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for his bold initiative in granting amnesty to our people.

The Niger Delta militants  at the end of the day  are still our people and citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, And of course, the president himself acknowledged that there are issues and the militants themselves acknowledged that these issues were not created by the president, that these issues were there before the president, these issues began before  independence. (Click here for more Pictures)

With oil production in the Niger Delta, the Niger Deltans asked for more development and more attention, unfortunately at that time, they felt that their aspiration were not met by the Federal Republic and of course, there was crisis in the Niger Delta. 

It started with the Late Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, this place we are standing is incidentally named after Isaac Adaka Boro, that great son of Bayelsa. He started the struggle and after him, Ken Saro Wiwa took over, after that, Kaiama decleration and MEND took over.

Today marks the end of the struggle by MEND and they themselves accept that they have migrated from arms struggle and that from now
on, they will engage in peaceful dialogue and negotiations with the federal government.

As a state government, when we came in as a government there was wide spread kidnapping and insecurity in the state. I acknowledged it and immediately initiated what is now popularly known as the Triple e- Strategy. 

The Triple- E Strategy involves Engagement of the militants, Empowerment, and of course Enforcement of the law. I went by my self to some of the militant camps and engaged them in discussion and actually explained to them the implications of some of the things they were doing. My engagement with the militants culminated into the signing of a State Pact which has held on for over one year. 

The then military representation and the federal government of Nigeria bought into the idea that we should actually turned a new leaf and grant
amnesty to everyone.

This amnesty is unconditional on the part of the federal government and also unconditional on the part of the militants of the Niger Delta. The issues however, will then be looked into.

The Niger Delta requires a lot of  development, this development could not have taken place in an atmosphere of rancour, so there was the need for the militants to also give peace a chance for the government to do their best for the Niger Delta, and there was the need for the government to also show sincerity that they were ready to develop the Niger Delta.

I believe that both sides so far have shown sincerity. The federal government has shown very strong indications that they are ready to develop the Niger Delta and the militants have also shown strong sincerity and commitment by actually disarming themselves.