President Muhammadu Buhari has approved an additional N35 billion for the Niger Delta Amnesty Program to enable it fulfill its mandate.
Although the government approved N20 billion for the Program in the 2016 budget, President Buhari has now raised the budget to N55 billion with a recent release of N30 billion.
There is also a planned release of an additional N5 billion later.
At the moment, the Amnesty Office has paid up all former militants the backlog of their stipends up to the end of 2016.
The release of the additional funds is coming after presidential level interactive engagements in the Niger Delta, where the Buhari administration enunciated a New Vision for the oil-producing areas based on the presentation made by the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, to the President when he received leaders and stakeholders from the region last November.
Subsequently, the President asked his deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to embark on a tour of the region.
Equally, the funds would also support the training of pilots, aviation engineers, technicians, and motor vehicles mechanics from the oil-producing communities.
The Buhari administration has reassured the Niger Delta communities of its unalloyed commitment to a faithful implementation of its promises made during the visits by the Vice President to different oil-producing communities
On Friday, President Buhari ordered the Maritime University be opened before the end of the year. NAN
