Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has reflected on one of the most defining moments of his tenure as Nigeria’s Vice President, recalling how he personally visited one of the most dangerous militant camps in the Niger Delta during the peak of unrest in the region.
Jonathan, who served as Vice President under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua before becoming Nigeria’s leader in 2010, explained that he chose dialogue and personal engagement as a way of addressing the crisis that had crippled oil production and heightened insecurity in the Niger Delta.
In a video shared by Channels Television, he stated, “When I became the vice president one of the major things I did was to visit the most dangerous camp of the militants in the Niger Delta. I remember when we flew down to Warri, by the time we get to the waterfront to take boats to that camp, they sent information to us that anybody following me must not carry weapon. My ADC, my CSO, that nobody should carry a weapon,” he recounted.
The former president emphasized that the decision was not without fear but was necessary to build trust with the armed agitators, many of whom had been engaged in violent confrontations with security forces.
His efforts, alongside the late Yar’Adua’s administration, eventually culminated in the 2009 Amnesty Programme, which disarmed thousands of militants and restored relative peace to the region.Continue, Full, Reading>>>>
Find Verified News At Your fingertips Click The Link Above .
Leave a Reply