The Office of the government amnesty programme has announced that federal government will soon pay all the outstanding cash stipends owed to former militants in the Niger Delta region, under an amnesty programme signed in 2009.

This is coming after militants threatened to resume attacks on oil facilities should the government fails to make the payment.

“We advise all to remain calm as all stipend arrears and other outstanding payments under the programme will soon be paid,” it said in a statement.

Let’s be reminded that the Nigerian government has been discussing with militants in the oil hub to put an end to attacks on crude oil pipelines which reduced the country’s output by 700, 000 bpd last year.

As a matter of fact, President Muhammadu Buhari (photo) in November 2016, met with Niger Delta leaders and representatives of the militants to negotiate their demands but this has yielded little success.

Authorities had initially halted cash payment to militants but this was later resumed to prevent the attacks from crippling oil revenues.

Under the amnesty programme, each former militant is entitled to $213.68 per month and a job training.

Anita Fatunji