Ex-Niger Delta agitators protest non-payment of N65,000.00 emoluments to over 7,000 delegates since the appointment of Ndiomu as Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP)
A coalition of ex-agitators from the Niger Delta region on Tuesday held a protest against the alleged non-payment of their emoluments by the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
The protesters drawn from Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers States who trooped to the National Assembly accused the interim administration of the PAP headed by Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (Rtd) of arbitrarily halting the N65,000 monthly payment for over 7, 000 of their members.
Explaining that the development started after the appointment of the interim administrator six months ago, they noted that the peaceful protest was to register their displeasure and urge the leadership of the National Assembly to resolve the matter.
READ ALSO: Oil-producing communities decry under-development despite $5.8bn mandatory payments
A notice of protest conveying their grievances addressed to the Inspector General of Police, signed by the Chairman Phase 2, Bayelsa State, Paul Johnson, and two others which was made available to reporters, alleged that the new Interim Administrator has been insensitive to their needs.
“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 programme, we are duty bound ‘to play by the rules of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to be non-violent, and on the other end; emoluments, incentives and benefits were to be given us; part of which includes training, both academic and non-academics, and the monthly N65,000.00 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 Maj-Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
Right from his inception as the Interim Administrator, going over to six months now, many of our ex-agitators have suffered this insensitive behaviour 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 becomes 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,” the notice read.
Elizabeth Atime
Lizzy Chirkpi has a BA in French and is a senior reporter at OrderPaper. She has keen interest in photo journalism and video documentaries. Author of the book; 'Pourquoi Le Français,' she likes reading, traveling and watching movies.
