Ex-militants Donate Blood, Demand Inclusion On Amnesty

ABOUT 157 ex-militants, under the aegis of the Bakassi Volunteer Force (BVF), have donated blood to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).

Vowing to maintain peace in the Niger Delta, the ex-militants, who are yet to be integrated into the Federal Government’s amnesty training programme, donated 150 bags of blood to the hospital.

BVF leader, Mr. Bofa Olorogun, told reporters during an interview that the gesture is to inform other militants still plying their trade in the creeks that the era of hostilities has paved the way for peace and civility.

Secretary-General of BVF, Elihu John Ebong, in a statement, said the donation is meant to offer hope, as well as save the life of the poor and needy in the society.

“Even though terrorists are still callously taking life of the poor, helpless and needy in our society; lives that we refused to take during our struggle, yet today, we feel obliged to give hope to our fellow countrymen.”

The BVF however said it would “resist attempts by any militant group to dislodge the peace of the Niger Delta region, and by extension, the country.”

Ebong said the decision by BVF to lay down its arms on August 4, 2011, was “to demonstrate to all Nigerians, especially our brothers from the Niger Delta, that we can’t allow the incessant killings by some factions in the country to split us apart.”

“We strongly oppose any act of sabotage of the peaceful co-existence of people of this great nation.”

On the Presidential Amnesty Programme for ex-militants, the BVF said that from inception, it has been pursuing the inclusion of over 157 of its members in the programme to no avail and is therefore appealing to the President, through the Chairman of the Amnesty Programme, to extend the favour of enlisting them into the ongoing phase of the initiative.

The group also appealed to the Cross River State government for assistance on its welfare and upkeep, while promising to continue on the path of peace and civility.

While taking delivery of the blood, the Chief Medical Director the hospital, Dr Thomas Agan, said donation would be judiciously used after thorough screening.

He assured them that the Federal Government would continue to assist with their upkeep and expressed appreciation for the gesture.

Agan said the Federal Government is committed to the peaceful co-existence of Nigerians and described the action of the BVF as a gesture worth emulating.

He described want of blood as reason for most deaths in hospitals.