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FG averts unrest in Niger Delta
The Federal Government has averted the threat of unrest threatened by former militants in the Niger Delta area as it has commenced the payment of their allowances which had been delayed.
The Head, Media and Communication of the Amnesty Programme, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said on Friday that the Central Bank of Nigeria began payment of the N65, 000 for each of the beneficiaries on Friday.
It would be recalled that former militants in the region under the Amnesty programme had made threats of returning to the creeks, when the allowances were yet to be paid, just as a number of them were reportedly kicked out of their training programmes abroad because government was yet to pay their fees.
But Alabrah said that the process of the payment of the outstanding allowances started following an approval by President Mohammadu Buhari.
He said the office would commence payment of the allowances and in-training fees for delegates after an ongoing verification exercise.
Read also: Boroh replaces Kuku as Amnesty coordinator
Alabrah, who said the outstanding allowances would be paid in batches, added that the allowances for May was being paid while those for June and July would be paid later.
The Federal Government suspended payment of salaries and allowances to those under the Amnesty Programme at the inception of the Buhari Administration in May.
After two months of his administration, the President appointed Brig. Gen. Paul Boro (retd) as the Coordinator of the Programme on July 28, 2015.
Boroh had set up a seven-man committee to carry out a verification exercise on the Programme to precede the resumption of payment of fees under the Programme.
Boroh was quoted as saying the President released the funds to ensure immediate resolution of issues thrown up by the delayed allowances.
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