Again, FG pleads with ex-militants on delay in allowance payment

 

We’re fighting guerrilla war –Agitators

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa and Tony John, Port Harcourt

SPECIAL Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Fed­eral Government Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (retd) has expressed concern over delay in the payment of allowances to former militants in the Niger Delta region.

He appealed for patience from the former militants, saying the amnesty office was working round the clock to ensure the allow­ances were paid soon.

The former agitators had protested on July 4 and barricaded the major East- West Road over the delay. It took the intervention of the Commander of Operation, Delta Safe (ODS), Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie and some officials of the am­nesty office to pacify them with the assurance that the allowances would be paid soon.

However, six days after the assurance, the former militants were yet to re­ceive payment and they have begun mobilisation to commence another protest on the East-West Road from today.

Boroh, in a last ditch ef­fort to prevent the protest explained that the delay was caused by some hic­cups which was brought to his attention by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) dur­ing the public holidays.

In a statement by his liaison officer, Mr. Preye Kiryamon, Boroh said the problem has been sorted out and assured that the former militants would re­ceive payments from today.

Regardless, Niger Delta militants have described the battle with federal troops as “a guerrilla war” and vowed to sustain the onslaught until contentious issues were addressed.

Also, they warned the Ni­ger Delta Avengers (NDA) not to dialogue with the Federal Government, say­ing a stronger group would emerge if NDA goes against the advice.

Representatives of Con­cerned Militant Leaders (CML) and Niger Delta Peoples Democratic Front (NDPDF), General Ben and Precious Iyoyo (also known as General Playboy) respectively, said this yes­terday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The groups commended NDA and reiterated sup­port for the Avengers and stressed that dialogue with the federal government would be an indication of surrender, “which we would not like.”

“We are fighting a guer­rilla war and, until we see the result of the fight, there will be no retreat, no surrender. We have taken a vow in this struggle, and we must see the end of it.

“We don’t make empty threats and people should not take us for granted. We are taking records of com­ments made by individuals and groups since this strug­gle started…

“At the appropriate time, we will visit them one after the other, no matter where they may be…” Ben said.

Similarly, leader of NDP­DF, Iyoyo, has warned gov­ernment that any attack on members of NDA would be attack on Niger Delta mili­tants.

“Avengers are doing the right thing, and we support them. The federal govern­ment should know that whatever touches Aveng­ers, touches all of us.

“That is why we are say­ing we cannot sit down and watch things go wrong.

“We (militants) are fighting a just course. The federal government is de­stroying the peace in Niger Delta.

“We are ready for them. There will not be peace for any man, who does not want,” Playboy said.




source: Sun News