The Federal Government has approved the release of an additional N35billion for the amnesty programme of ex-militants in the Niger Delta region of the country.
Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, revealed this in a statement on Saturday.
Akande also said the programme now had N55bn budgeted for it.
“In sustenance of the new understanding between the Federal Government and the oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has released additional N35B to step-up the Amnesty Programme in the region.
“Although the FG had approved a N20B allocation for the Amnesty Programme in the 2016 budget, President Buhari has now raised the funds, and as appropriated, to N55B with a recent release of additional N30B. There is also a planned release of another N5B later.
“Currently the Amnesty Office has now paid up all ex-militants backlog of their stipends up to the end of 2016,” the statement read/
