The Rivers State House of Assembly has reassured repentant cultists that the government would not abandon them but is committed to making their lives better for good.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Peace and Security, Hon Tonye Smart Adoki, in related development, what seems to be the second phase of the Rivers State Government Amnesty Programme gave this assurance when he led members of his committee to meet with the ex-cultists in Bori and Eleme.
Adoki, assured them that he would meet with the Governor of the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, to work out modalities in setting up a task force, that would comprise of the different cult groups, for a surveillance job.
He pleaded with the ex-cultists to drop all their differences and join hands with the government to bring lasting peace, to enable government create enabling environment for employment generation.
Adoki said, “We have come to talk nothing but peace, we have come as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to preach peace, we have not come to discuss politics, but to see how we can make lives better for you.
“We have come to beg you people to stop the crisis, and bring crime and criminality to an end. Stop all forms of kidnapping, armed robbery, theft and the rest.
“It won’t be better after all said and done, we start hearing that you have commenced hostility again”, he advised.
He also pleaded with them not to hesitate in voicing their challenges as government was prepared to alleviate them.
“If it is employment, if it marginalisation by companies operating in your area, whatever you know that you are being deprived of, tell us, let us know, and we promise you that we have the capacity to call any person who is trying to deprive you of your rights to order”.
He assured them that they have a better future ahead of them, and advised them to shun all manner of crime.
Earlier while lamenting their grievances, some of the ex-cult leaders complained of marginalization and unemployment by companies operating within their areas.
One of them, Comrade Alloy Ejor, lamented that most of the multinational companies such as Total, Mobil, Intels, and NOTORE, do not employ indigenes, stressing that even when they employ “one or two”, they do it on contract with meagre salary.
Also speaking, another ex-cultist simply known as “Italian”, wondered why they should lack in the midst of plenty.
He thanked the committee for the gesture, and promised that, henceforth, the area would be peaceful “If we have jobs to do”.
They collectively promised to drop their differences, unite and work together with law enforcement agents to end crimes and violence.
Prominent among the ex-cult groups at the meeting were the “Dey Gbam” and “Iceland”.
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