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25 May 2009 Abuja — The amnesty which the Federal
Government recently offered Niger Delta militants
willing to lay down their arms is still open despite
the ongoing military offensive against them, President
Umaru Musa Yar'adua said yesterday in Abuja.
Speaking at an audience with the visiting French
Prime Minister, Mr. Francois Fillon, President
Yar'adua said the Federal Ministry of Interior was
overseeing the implementation of the amnesty plan.
Declaring that his administration was still
committed to the implementation of the 25-year
strategic Master Plan for the Niger Delta, the
president stressed that peace and stability were
necessary pre-conditions for development in the
region.
He said that the Federal Government would therefore
continue do everything possible to restore peace and
security to the Niger Delta to make it safe for
development and investment.
President Yar'adua said the Federal Government
would continue to channel resources to the Niger Delta
Ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC)
for the overall development of the region.
The President also spoke on Nigeria's readiness to
continue to play peacekeeping roles in Darfur, the
Gulf of Guinea and elsewhere on the African continent
under the auspices of the African Union Peacekeeping
Force "to prevent the breakdown of law and order."
On bilateral relations, President Yar'adua
commended the signing of four agreements between both
countries during Mr. Fillon's visit that would deepen
the strategic partnership between Nigeria and France.
The President, who lauded France's support to the
attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, also
praised her support for reforms of the United Nations
Security Council.
EsinIslam.Com
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