Mr. Kingsley Muturu is the Delta State chairman, phase 2 of the Amnesty programme. . In this interview with Saturday Vanguard, he commends President Goodluck Jonathan’s display of statesmanship at the Presidential election. He also speaks on Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence at the polls, ex militants’ position in the coming political dispensation and other issues. Excerpts:
What is your group’s take on the outcome of the presidential election conducted penultimate week?
Well, I commend President Goodluck Jonathan for keeping to his promise to ensure free, fair and credible elections in the country. He displayed statesmanship at the end of the election where he lost to his opponent. He has shown a good example for Nigerians to follow when he conceded victory and I believe Nigerians must have seen the great qualities embedded in a man like Jonathan. If Nigerians really want to practice true democracy, then we should imbibe President Jonathan’s example.
I want to use this medium to call on all phase 2 ex-militants to continue to maintain the prevailing peace in the Niger Delta region. Nobody should break any pipeline because we only fight for a just course. We are peace-loving people and I advise all Niger Deltans to put the past behind them and forge ahead to bring the much needed development to the region. We should not deceive one another.
Kingsley Muturu
On the President-elect and his government, what do you have to say?
Gen. Buhari is the in-coming President being the winner at the poll. As I said earlier, we Niger Delta ex-agitators will continue to maintain the peace as we agreed with the federal government for economic prosperity of the country. He should carry everybody along; he should not segregate any part of the country as Jonathan did in order to achieve his set agenda for the nation. If he really wants to achieve great feat, then he should be able to carry along even his opponents in governance to win the heart of the masses.
Again, Gen. Buhari should be able to execute the amnesty programme granted Niger Delta ex-agitators by the federal government to a successful conclusion. We congratulate him for his victory at the poll as President Jonathan did and we urge him not to segregate.
What is the present state of the amnesty programme?
The amnesty programme is in stages. I can tell you that we are progressing and I will like to use this medium to thank Kingsley Kuku for his efforts as chairman of the amnesty programme. He has been able to handle the programme well, he is worthy of a good leader and we thank him very much. There is much peace in the Niger Delta as a result of the amnesty programme and we hope the in-coming government will implement the programme to a successful end.
How would you describe the conduct of the Presidential/National Assembly elections which was described as free and fair by observers?
As I said before, President Jonathan has prepared the ground for peaceful, free and fair elections to be held in future in this country. There are reports of malpractices and anomalies but the ultimate aim of Jonathan was to ensure that the votes of the electorate counted at the poll. He has set the pace for the nation and we should emulate him. We also commend his team for their unflinching support given him, and most especially the South-Easterners for their unequalled support.
They have shown that they are trustworthy. We urge all parties to put the interest of nation first in all political activities and work to take the country to the next level
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