The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson on Sunday proposed amnesty for repentant cultists in the state.
The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, disclosed this to newsmen in Yenagoa.
He said the governor’s offer of amnesty to cultists in the state was to transform their lives.
“This is part of the state government’s genuine plan to carry every dedicated and law abiding youth along in its new youth empowerment strategy, through training and engagement programmes.’’
The scheme would be handled by the offices of the Special Adviser on Security and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on civil society.
The CPS urged the cultists to register their names and other details at the relevant offices.
Iworiso-Markson said, “This is part of government’s efforts at further extending the olive branch to supposed repentant members of cult groups in the state, who still indulge in criminality, especially in far-flung communities in the state to be reintegrated into the society.
“All cultists, who are genuinely willing to renounce their membership of various cult groups are advised to register their names and other relevant information about themselves at the office of the SSA on Civil Society.
“This equally applies to cult members in higher institutions of learning in the State. The period of registration is between Wednesday, 20th of March and Friday, 5th of April, 2013, excluding weekends.”
Iworiso-Markson explained that to demonstrate Government’s commitment to this project, Dickson had scheduled to meet with all repentant cultists to discuss and arrange on how to engage and empower them.