NIGERIA (Abuja)- Beneficiaries of the amnesty programme organized for ex Niger-Delta militants have been advised to continue to ensure sustainable peace in the region.

The above statement was credited to the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku, yesterday in Abuja.

In a statement issued by Daniel Alabrah, the Head of Media and Communications of the Presidential Amnesty Office (PAO), Kuku , who is also the Chairman of the PAO, gave the admonition in his end –of- year message to the beneficiaries.

Kuku said: “The Nigerian government, on its part, has remained committed to the educational, vocational and capacity development of the beneficiaries as a guarantee for a better future for them and the region.

“The Goodluck Jonathan administration has not wavered in its commitment to ensuring the success of the amnesty programme.

“So far, no fewer than 19,000 Niger Delta youths have been trained or are in training in Nigeria and in almost 20 other countries in various fields.

“In 2014, we plan to surpass our target in formal education and vocational training of the beneficiaries,” it said.

Furthermore, Kuku cautioned the youth of the region to shun overtures from those he described as “desperate politicians” who were bent on reversing the gains of the amnesty programme.

“Youths in the region should not fall for such desperate politicians’ ploy.

“They must not allow the Niger Delta regress into violence again, or allow themselves to be used by politicians, who will later dump them to their fate.

“The present administration has succeeded in giving hope to a lot of the youths through the amnesty programme, after they were used and dumped by politicians in the past,” the statement quoted Kuku to have said.