By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
In a major move to restore peace across all communities of Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Friday inaugurated the State Amnesty Programme Committee.
This was contained in a statement signed by his Special Assistant Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu.
According to the statement, the committee has as members, representatives of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Amnesty, Sir Ken Chinda is chairman.
In his inauguration speech, Governor Wike charged the committee to interface with different cult groups for the purpose of retrieving arms from them.
The governor also charged the committee to work out modalities to ensure the proper integration of cultists and militants who willingly subscribe to the amnesty programme.
He warned the committee members against promising repentant cultists and militants that the state government will pay for arms surrendered in the course of the programme.
He declared: “Anyone who has surrendered his arms and has followed through the process laid out for the amnesty will be pardoned. Such a person will not be prosecuted.
“This committee has 60days to complete its assignment. After the 60days, any cultist or militant who fails to subscribe to the amnesty programme will face the full weight of the law”.
The governor reiterated that the amnesty programme is not politically motivated, pointing out that it was designed to promote the security of all communities in the state.
Responding on behalf of the committee members, Chairman of the Committee, Mr Ken Chinda assured the governor that members of the will work in line with the terms of reference outlined.
The members of the committee are: Sir Ken Chinda Special Adviser (Amnesty)- Chairman, Lt Col. Timothy Opurum- Nigerian Army- Member, Flt Lt Gabriel Folorunso Ayeyemi – Nigerian Airforce, Lt Cdr Segun Adebajo – Nigerian Navy – member, Mr Daniel Uzor – DSS – member, ACP Imo Sam Orok – Nigerian Police – member and Dr. George Nweke – Permanent Secretary, Special Services Bureau – Secretary.
