President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday said that government would no longer negotiate with any militia group that causes a breach of the peace in any part of the country.
Obasanjo gave the warning at the foundation laying of a $20 million syringe factory, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He said government was determined to visit all forms of rascalism with severe punishment.
He advised anyone or group that believed that the negotiation with the militia in the Niger Delta last October, indicated weakness on the part of the Federal Government, to have a rethink.
The President had almost concluded his speech when a group of youths under the aegis of �Rivers Youths for Peace�, surged forward to applaud him for the peace effort in Rivers State in particular, and the Niger Delta in general.
Pointing directly at the youths, he said, �Let me say that we did not meet and negotiate with some of you out of weakness but we saw the need to give the militants, the opportunity to change for the better.
�Henceforth, there will be no amnesty for any individual or group that promotes violence and destruction of property in any part of the country.
�I am therefore, asking all of you to be of good behaviour because the government will certainly punish all acts of rascalism from now onwards.�
Although the October peace deal generated a lot of controversy, Rivers State Governor Peter Odili granted amnesty to Alhaji Asari Dokubo, leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force and Mr. Tom Ateke of the Niger Delta Vigilance.
Earlier, the President lamented the effects of malaria and HIV/AIDS in Africa and stressed the need for a concerted effort to stem them.
Obasanjo regretted that the economy of most African countries had been negatively affected by diseases that could have been prevented many decades ago.
He said, �Sustainable development is possible in Africa if diseases that impact directly and indirectly on the people are tamed. The continent�s Gross Domestic Product would have increased by millions of dollars if malaria had been eliminated years ago.�
He lauded the African Health Foundation for putting up the syringe factory in collaboration with the government and some multinational companies.
Obasanjo said the initiative signified a new relationship between the government and some countries which believed in strengthening the health facilities in Nigeria.
The President appealed to the youths in Port Harcourt not to disrupt work at the factory because it was set up to generate employment for them and other Nigerians.
Before his arrival in Port Harcourt, Obasanjo had earlier visited Owerri, Imo State, where he said that he had not appointed a Minister of Petroleum Resources because of intense jostling by Nigerians.
The Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, had given assurance to the Preseident that everything would be done to make the syringe factory work.
Odili stated that his government believed in the reforms being carried out by the Obasanjo government and would, therefore, follow the President in whichever direction he went.
The Chairman of the Pan African Health Foundation, Mr. Yuichi Ishimaru, disclosed that the company had raised $6million out of the $20million needed for the completion of the project.
