BONNY (RIVERS) - Bonny indigenes of Rivers resident in the United Kingdom have commenced reaching out to youths in the creeks to surrender their weapons and embrace peace.
Miss Igoniwari Halliday, the Chief Executive Officer of Miths Associates, which coordinates all groups involved in the peace project, told newsmen in Bonny at the weekend that 185 youths in the creeks had been reached so far.
‘’We told them to lay down their weapons and write letters of apology to the state government and elders of Bonny kingdom. We also told them to embrace education to improve their future’’ she said.
Halliday said in return, the peace group in the United Kingdom and Nigeria would arrange for amnesty for the youths and their rehabilitation.
‘’We had to arrange this dialogue and negotiation to get our youths out of the creeks. Already, we have secured 35 scholarships from Scotts College in London and are in the process of negotiating with Concepts College also in London for our youths’’ she added.
Halliday said when the arrangements are concluded, those with requisite qualification would be cleared to use the scholarships while those who could not go back to school, would be trained in skills development.
‘’We have found out that the society and parents are the cause of these problems.
The society has been unfair to these youths and that made them to go to the
creeks to fend for themselves’’ she said.
She said so far, the peace project has been successful and was hopeful that eventually, the boys would surrender their weapons and embrace peace.
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