Ex-militants threaten to storm Abuja, disrupt presidential campaigns in Niger Delta over non-payment of stipends

Ex-militants of the Second Phase of the Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP) have vowed to resist the 2023 presidential campaigns of various political parties if their stipends are not paid within one week.

They vowed to mobilize forces to resist presidential candidates from entering the Niger Delta region.

They gave a one week ultimatum to the Interim Administrator of PAP to pay about 2,952 ex-agitators, alleging that the plan to wind down the PAP has began with the stoppage of the payment of the ex-militants.

The National Chairman of Second Phase, General Aso Tambo who made the statement while briefing journalists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said if the ex-agitators are not paid within the stipulated time frame, they would storm PAP office in Abuja and press home their demands.

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They stated that the ex-agitators were going through tough times since the Interim Administration of Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (retd) stopped their payment adding that he ( Ndiomu) had just paid only October stipend, noting that it had affected them and their families negatively.

They said the Interim Administrator does not have proper verifiable means of those who have been trained and empowered over the years.

They however, thanked the Interim Administrator, Ndiomu for making sure that certified ex-agitators were enlisted into the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps and other ministries and parastatals of government.

The statement reads; “We resolved that the 2,952 should be paid now and within one week if that is not done, the entire ex-agitators will match down to Abuja and take over the presidential amnesty office.

“We are also resolved that if the 2,952 ex-agitators are not paid within the time frame that I have mentioned, we will not allow any political party most especially at the presidential campaign level to enter the nine Niger Delta states to campaign.

“We will make ensure that we put every force in place to resist them from campaigning”, it stated.

The statement alleged that since the inception of the Presidential Amnesty Program, it has not trained more than 5,000 beneficiaries out of the 30,000 ex-agitators while advising the PAP office to align with the leaders of the ex-agitators for training and subsequently empowerment.

By Amgbare Kumo

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