Niger Delta Group Laments Non-payment For Executed Contracts By Interim Administrator Of Presidential Amnesty Programme

A development advocacy group in the Niger Delta region, Voice of Niger Delta for Equity and Justice has decried the alleged refusal of the Interim Administrator of Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj. Gen. Barry Ndiomu (retd.) of the non-payment for executed contracts.

The group asserted that the contractors popularly known as Amnesty Vendors carried out lots of empowerment programs for the ex-militants in Niger Delta between 2022 and 2024.

The group Director General, Chief Dr Williams Onohwakpor and Chairperson, Dr. Mrs. Success Ebierebo Motajo made this known while speaking during a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja, noting that the contractors were not paid for the jobs, which were executed for the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

According to the group, the loans that the contractors took to execute the projects claimed their means of livelihood, adding that their health had also been affected.

The group said they were fed up with life as text messages and letters sent to different government organization, including the Inspector General of Police, National Assembly, EFCC, IPCC, Nigerian Army and many more, were not responded to.

The advocacy group, called on the Interim Administrator to resign if he cannot pay the contractors within 21 days.

“We bring to your notice the inhumane activities of Gen. Barry Ndiomu (RTD); the interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty program. Since assumption of office in September 2022, the administrator has taken it upon himself to oppress and intimidate genuine beneficiaries of the program.

“We have followed through with pains in our hearts the activities of the office and suffice to say that the administrator have derailed from the original mandate and conducted himself as an Emperor. ent

“It is on record that the administrator have delisted original beneficiaries from the data base and replaced them with ghost names which he uses to siphon the benefits accruable to these persons. It is also on record that he willing intimidates and suppresses any dissenting voices that tries to challenge his illegal activities.

“Since he assumed office, he has carried out an unending verification exercise to identify genuine Ex-agitators in the data base. This he has used to manipulate the data and infiltrate it with fictitious names thereby collecting the monthly stipends under this pretext.

“Gen. Ndiomu (RID) since assumption of office have jettisoned the working manual of the program to implement an haphazard training and empowerment program to soothe his evil agenda. He has not sent original beneficiaries for trainings both educational and vocational. Thereby diverting the academic bills and empowerment for these beneficiaries.

“The human resources development is the core of the Amnesty program hence the concept of Reintegration in the program. But it will shock you to know that since assumption, he has deliberately refused to send beneficiaries for scholarships, trainings and empowerment. Two academic sessions, he has not deployed students and even the ones he inherited: he has not regularly paid their School fees and monthly in training allowance, Thereby subjecting these students to sufferings in their various institutions of learning.

“Also he has failed and deliberately too refused to pay vendors who have completed their contracts and awaiting payment prior to his resumption. Most of these vendors sourced for loans to deliver these contracts and are been chased by banks /other financial institutions to pay back.

“Some have lost their properties they used as collateral to get these loans to undertake this jobs. Despite several appeals to him to see reasons to pay these duly cleared vendors, it has fallen on deaf ears as he has no feeling whatsoever to pay these vendors. Unfortunately some have passed on due to heart failures and inability to hold on.

The Amnesty program is a security program put in place by the FG to ensure peace and stability in the Niger Delta and ensure the oil companies work peacefully. But his actions may likely lead to security issues and restiveness.

“The Amnesty Programme is about integration training and empowerment, since resumption of office till date ndiomu as not award any contract nor training.

He introduce cooperative schemes which he used to syphon funds. No genuine delegates as benefits from uptil date.

“It have gotten to the crescendo and if not checked may likely breach the relative peace FG have tried to sustain in the Niger Delta.

“We call for pragmatic intervention of President Bola Tinubu, as we have resolved to carry out peaceful protests in the coming days/weeks to press home our demands for his replacement and also to bring our plight to the public knowledge, if nothing is done.

“#ndiomu must go,” the statement added.

A 65-years old woman, Mrs Ebi Tinubu who narrated her experience to SaharaReporters said aside from bank taking her house because of loans she took from them, she now sleep from one friend house to another.

Mrs Tinubu said, “Am a business woman and I use to have a cold room at ijolokpa but since the close of the border I now move to amnesty vendor where I do some amnesty contract.

“Now, since last two years the presidential amnesty coordinator has not pay me a dine and I have so many issues now the worst is that right now I don’t have home, my house has been siezed by the bank I took loans from.

“I do sleep from friend to friend houses and many of us are not ok health wise alot if not all are is so many problem please and please my fellow Nigerians kindly help to plead with Mr idioms to pay us vendor’s our money.”