Senate passes amnesty bill
Senate passes amnesty bill! The Senate, yesterday passed a bill to provide a legal and institutional framework for the implementation and management of the Presidential Amnesty Programme in the country.
The Red Chamber
The Bill provides legal instrument to implement the Presidential Amnesty programme in the area of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.
This is to ensure an orderly and efficient completion of the mandate of the Programme as well as provide an exit date for the programme.
With the passage, different phases of the Programme commencing from the 2009 Presidential Amnesty proclamation can now be consolidated.
After taking the Bill for an Act to Establish the Presidential Programme on Rehabilitation and Reintegration for the implementation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria and for Related Matters, 2018 (HB.482), the Senators read it the third time and passed it.
According to the passage, the Programme shall be structured into disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration.
It said that ex- agitators under the Programme shall be paid monthly stipends as may be approved by the President. From time to time, take care of their basic necessities as part of the demobilisation and rehabilitation process.
Adding that only ex- agitators whose names are in the Stipends Roll shall be entitled to receive the monthly stipends or allowances.
Conclusion
The bill also specifies that there shall be a Coordinator for the Programme for a period of four years subject to re- appointment by the President for a further term of four years and no more.
Also yesterday, the Senate yesterday approved that the sum of $1 billion from the Federal Government share of Excess Crude revenue.
This should be made available for the immediate completion of the dilapidated Ajaokuta Steel Company.
