Ex-agitators Protest Non-payment of Emoluments for Six Months

 Juliet Akoje in Abuja

A coalition of ex-agitators in the Niger Delta yesterday protested the alleged non-payment of their emoluments by the interim administration of the Presidential Amnesty Programme headed by Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu.

The ex-agitators that protested at the entrance of the National Assembly among other issues alleged that over 7,000 of them had stopped receiving their N65,000 monthly payment since the appointment of the interim administrator six months ago.

The protesters from Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Ondo and Edo States said that Ndiomu arbitrarily stopped their payment, adding that the peaceful protest was to register their displeasure and urge the leadership of the National Assembly to resolve the matter.

A notice of the protest conveying their grievances that was made available to reporters alleged that the new interim administrator has been insensitive to their needs.

The notice, which was addressed to the Inspector General of Police and signed by the Chairman Phase 2, Bayelsa State, Mr. Paul Johnson, and two others reads: “We abide by the law as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria upon our disarmament and acceptance to embrace the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

“Right from the inception of the program, we are duty bound to play by the rule of the presidential amnesty program to be non-violence, and on the other end; emoluments, incentives and benefits were to be given us. Part of which includes trainings, both academic and non-academics, and the monthly N65,000 stipends.

“Sir, for the past six months, over 7,000 delegates have stopped receiving the N65,000.00. This is as a result of the appointment of  Ndiomu as the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).”

“Right from his inception as the interim administrator, going over to six months now, many of our ex-agitators have suffered this insensitive behavior from Ndiomu.

“He has been tagging us negatively in the eyes of the public, using our monies to bribe some stakeholders in the Niger-Delta to play his card, putting in the front burner the issue of “BVN LINKAGE” in order to further use our monies as he wants”

“The peaceful protest became necessary for the public to be aware of our plight to drive home our grievances. As law abiding citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we have to duly inform you, the security agent, of our planned peaceful protest. We promise to be peaceful and civil, we will never take laws into our hands.

“All we want is our N65,000.00 monthly stipends and Ndiomu should be relieved of his duty as the Interim Administrator of the presidential Amnesty programme.”