APA-Lagos (Nigeria) A Nigerian government committee has recommended that one of the leaders of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, Henry Okar, should be tried in an open trial or released as one of the solutions to the crisis in the Niger Delta region.

Okar is standing trial behind closed doors in Jos, Plateau state.

In its report submitted on Monday to President Umaru Yar\’ Adua, the 46-member Technical Committee on the Niger-Delta also recommended that oil-rich states in the region be paid 25 percent of revenues accruing from their territories, an increase of 12 percentage points over the 13 percent they currently receive.

The committee, which was inaugurated by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan on 8 September 2008, also recommended that the completion of the East-West Road with spurs to coastline.

Other recommends include payment of outstanding statutory funds owed to the Niger Delta Development Commission, disarming process for youths involved in militancy through creating the enabling environment and establishment of a credible decommissioning, and the establishment of a Youth Employment Scheme that will employ at least 2,000 youths in each local government of the Niger Delta states.

Speaking to journalists after presenting the report to President Yar\’Adua, committee chairman Ledum Mitee said the federal government should attend to the recommendations within the next six months.

He said there has been “failure of demonstration of political will to deal with those issues\".

President Yar\’ Adua commended the committee and said the recommendations will be examined by the government.

Source: APA