By Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Scores of Niger Delta ex- militants granted amnesty in 2011 by the federal government stormed the premises of the National Assembly yesterday to protest the alleged non -payment of their allowances.
The protesters who described themselves as shortchanged members of Berebeghan Group of the Presidential Amnesty Programme accused their leader (name withheld) of diverting monthly allowances meant for them into his private pocket.
The ex-militants in a statement signed on their behalf by Arerebo Napoleon, Evah Joshua and Erekake Clerk, said instead of being rehabilitated after surrendering their ammunitions in 2011, they have been wallowing in abject poverty due to diversion of their survival allowances and denial of any vocational /formal educational training.
They consequently called on relevant authorities to stop payment of their N65,000 monthly stipend through their leader and requested that vocational trainings should henceforth be extended to them.
The statement dated June 21, 2018 and addressed to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives read in part: “ …Instead of being rehabilitated , we are rather wallowing in abject poverty , the reason is because our leader, decided to divert our monthly stipend for his personal use .
“The federal government stipulated that each member of the presidential amnesty programme is entitled to N65,000 monthly stipend which must be paid directly into beneficiaries account and either vocational or formal education be given to us accordingly.
“But our leader deceived us into opening accounts with EcoBank PLC where he has an insider collaborator cutting our monies to N30,000 or N20,000 on monthly basis and even some denied any payment ever since.â€
The protesters in their demands want such payments to be made into their other bank accounts directly, while authentic vocational training/ formal education should be given to them and severance of any further dealings with their leader.
