National
PAP: Ex-agitators Write E.K. Clark Open Letter Over Suspension Of 3000 Beneficiaries Accounts
• Accuse Ndiomu of inciting fresh hostility in Niger Delta
By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos &
Okpe Felix, Warri
Protesting ex-agitators under the Presidential Amnesty Programme numbering over 3,000 have written an open letter to High Chief (Pa) Dr E. K. Clark, Ijaw National Leader to prevail on the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Maj Gen. Barry Ndiomu to immediately pay ex-agitators with BVN challenges.
The concerned ex-fighters said there was a need to act without further delay by communicating their collective resolves to the security authorities and critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta to avert the looming catastrophe of the injustice and inhuman treatment suffered by them.
The angry protesters maintained that over three hundred ex-agitators out of the affected number had been in Abuja for more than a month to meet with the Amnesty Interim Administrator, Maj. Gen Ndiomu (Rtd) for an amicable solution but all peaceful attempts to get the lingering issues addressed were turned down by Ndiomu.
The petition which was signed by LEADER JULIUS JOSEPH, LEADER TAM ODOGWU ‘PhD’
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN PHASE 3 AMNESTY CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS said the injustice meted out is capable of causing a fresh crisis in the Niger Delta.
The letter titled: “CALL FOR URGENT INTERVENTION ON MATTERS BOTHERING ON NATIONAL SECURITY” said: “It has become very imperative to draw your attention to the lingering issue regarding the suspension of payments of more than three thousand (3,000) Niger Delta Ex-agitators under the Presidential Amnesty Programme as a result of perceived irregularities. There is a need to act without further delay by communicating this issue and our collective concerns to the security authorities and critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta to avert the looming catastrophe that would result from this impasse.”
However, the protest letter copied the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters Abuja, the Director General of DSS, the Nigeria National Assembly, and the Office of the Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, urging them to intervene in the looming hostility in Niger Delta.
The statement reads, “It may interest you to note that over three hundred ex-agitators out of the affected number have been in Abuja for more than a month to meet with the Amnesty Interim Administrator, Maj. Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu (Rtd) for an amicable solution but all our peaceful attempts failed to achieve the desired result courtesy of Ndiomu’s leadership style.
Sir, if this matter is not addressed promptly, it has the potential to snowball into fresh hostility in the region. Therefore, it would be germane for Ndiomu to be enlightened on the security implications of his actions. The amnesty programme is not a perfectly established institution, it can’t be error-free. Consequently, it is expected that any manager of the programme is duty-bound to correct any identified irregularity for the good and betterment of those affected and not an opportunity to witch-hunt some persons.
“Sir, our position is not against Major Gen. Ndiomu’s (rtd) initiative to reform the payment system even though the policy is somehow selective, but the aspect of trying to collect or divert our guns slots (money) and send us back to the creeks is the concern. Major Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (Rtd) was supposed to know that the Amnesty Programme, though a security programme had a formation pattern that is quite different due to the peculiar nature of the ex-agitators and the Niger Delta struggle that gave birth to it.
“It is imperative to state unequivocally that the formation was a direct engagement with the camp leaders who were in control in each of the phases. The guns for each group were also handed over by the leaders to the receiving authority and slots were given to the leader of each camp for allotment to the boys. One notable mistake at that point was the failure to verify or ask the number of boys in each camp before allocating slots. For example, camps that had 50 – 100 boys were given between 20 – 50 slots, thereby giving more responsibility to the leaders on how to manage the little with everybody for peace and tranquillity. To circumvent any bickering or squabble among members in the various camps, the only available option discussed and agreed upon was to either use kids’ accounts or the reconciliation of names from courts affirming the ownership of the names linked to the leader’s BVN. The purpose was to ensure effective control and management of the available slots.
It is equally important to note that direct payment to boys’ accounts was tried in 2014 or 2015 for a few months but what transpired was a total breakdown of the existing peace. The outcome was not palatable as the favoured few kept disappearing (forgetting the gentlemanly agreement among camp members that a slot (65,000) is to be shared by at least two people). The leaders were also attacked severally by their boys and were forced to pay the boys with their own money. It got to a point where the office had to intervene by granting the semi-bulk (the leaders to submit accounts under their control – for example, kids account and others) to end the fighting and killing among camp members and leaders.
“It is expedient to accentuate the fact that the amnesty office is responsible for all the omissions and commissions, therefore should be blamed for whatever perceived irregularities because they forced us to resort to it after they denied us bulk payment which is still in existence. We are also entitled to bulk payment as some leaders are clandestinely paid because it serves the same purpose where one hundred boys’ stipends are paid to the camp leader account for onward distribution. This is clear discrimination and injustice for treating the same people in the same system differently. What is good for the goose is supposed to be good for the gander.
“However, every attempt to make the Amnesty Interim Administrator understand the fact that there was no bad intention attached, but rather a medium to ensure that we manage ourselves to help sustain relative peace in the region has failed. We also promised to support him to figure out ghost or floating slots in the system if he is interested but he is extremely defiant. The method Ndiomu is applying if not averted might cause great danger. It is on record that the Niger Delta crises and the recent Avengers started when several attempts to draw the attention of the federal government to the area were not only rebuffed but crackdown and repressed. The situation reached a crescendo when the people in the region resorted to self-help by bombing, vandalism and other categories of militant activities which negatively affected the economy.
“In the same vein, the persistent neglect and continual refusal to sit with us and agree on the best modality to solve this problem that has lingered for more than seven months, and leaving the victims to self-help is a dangerous decision to take at this critical period. The decision to send more than three thousand three hundred and four ex-agitators back to the creeks should be circumvented at all costs because the consequences would be grave.
“The total money for a month for the affected 3000 beneficiaries is 199.500,000 only, which is not up to one dubious contractor’s money or some of the managers of the programme or some top amnesty staff members’ allowances in a month. The programme that was established to make the lives of the former Creeks guys topnotch entrepreneurs and employers of labour has to turn around to become a medium to enrich themselves, their political friends and relatives. No single monthly provision or training or empowerment contract was provided outside the sixty-five thousand (65,000) feeding allowance for the leaders, where the leaders are left to depend on the above amount to survive. The above omissions are also contributing factors to most of the challenges.
“The primary objective of the establishment of the programme was to address the yearnings of the people of the Niger Delta Region, particularly the beneficiaries. What we need from any manager of the programme is good policies and programmes to improve the lives of the beneficiaries and inclusive leadership that will carry everyone along, and not the current management style with a lot of setbacks, ranging from delisting of beneficiaries to suspension of training and empowerment to suspension of scholarship and termination of on-going scholarship of two students for planning to organize peaceful protest because the officers refused to provide their learning gadget (laptop) for them, and lastly, the suspension of payment of more than three thousand beneficiaries for more than seven months due to perceived irregularities. Any manager of the amnesty programme is expected to make tremendous progress and not give room for retrogression. All the various managers of the programme from Air Vice Marshal Lucky Ochoko Ararile (Rtd) to Hon. Timi Alaibe to Hon. Dr Kingsley K. Kuku to Col. Paul Boroh to Late Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo to Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) made positive and impactful contributions by providing long term/short term skill training programmes, provision of onshore and offshore scholarships and empowerment opportunities. But Gen. Ndiomu’s tenure currently has nothing practical to show because even the one billion five hundred million (1.5b) Cooperative initiative to engage the leaders is still in theory, and the part he is towing on the current matter signalled danger and the worst legacy to leave behind.
“Sir, as individuals who are genuinely committed to the sustenance of peace not only in the region but in Nigeria as a whole, we have resolved to seek your intervention as there is palpable tension and we may not be able to control the boys if the government fails to address the issue with all sense of fairness and urgency. This is crucial because the country is sitting on a keg of gunpowder waiting for implosion, resulting from the 2023 general elections. Sir, as the country is about to transit from one regime to another in a few days, palpable tensions and acrimony birthed by the outcome of the elections, no form of an uprising should be allowed to manifest no matter how infinitesimal because it might trigger other bigger problems.
“We, therefore use this medium to call on you to come to our aid by directing the amnesty office to grant us our entitlements by either replacing the affected accounts or granting us bulk payment since the multiple account payment system is no more acceptable. As mentioned at the beginning of this letter, we are still in Abuja, and we may carry out another three peaceful protests before and on the inauguration day before returning if nothing urgent and meaningful is done.”
Read the letter in full:
7th May 2023
High (Pa) Dr E. K. Clark
Ijaw National Leader.
No. 43 Haile Selassie Street Asokoro, Abuja.
Sir,
CALL FOR URGENT INTERVENTION ON MATTERS BORDERING ON NATIONAL SECURITY
It has become very imperative to draw your attention to the lingering issue regarding the suspension of payments of more than three thousand (3,000) Niger Delta Ex-agitators under the Presidential Amnesty Programme as a result of perceived irregularities. There is a need to act without further delay by communicating this issue and our collective sentiment to the security authorities and critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta to avert the looming catastrophic crisis that would result from this impasse.
It may interest you to note that over three hundred ex-agitators out of the affected number have been in Abuja for more than a month to meet with the Amnesty Interim Administrator, Maj. Gen Ndiomu (Rtd) for an amicable solution but all our peaceful attempts failed to achieve the desired result courtesy of Ndiomu’s leadership style.
Sir, if this matter is not addressed promptly, it has the potential to snowball into fresh hostility in the region. Therefore, it would be germane for Ndiomu to be enlightened on the security implications of his actions. The amnesty programme is not a perfectly established institution bereft of errors or irregularities. Consequently, it is expected that any manager of the programme is duty-bound to correct any identified irregularity for the good and betterment of those affected and not an opportunity to witch-hunt some persons.
Sir, our position is not against Major Gen. Ndiomu’s (rtd) initiative to reform the payment system even though the policy is somehow selective, but the aspect of trying to collect or divert our guns slots (money) and send us back to the creeks. Major Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (Rtd) was supposed to know that the Amnesty Programme, though a security programme had a formation pattern that is quite different due to the peculiar nature of the ex-agitators and the Niger Delta struggle that gave birth to it.
It is imperative to state unequivocally that the formation was a direct engagement with the camp leaders who were in control in each of the phases. The guns for each group were also handed over by the leaders to the receiving authority and slots were given to the leader of each camp for allotment to the boys. One notable mistake at that point was the failure to verify or ask the number of boys in each camp before allocating slots. For example, camps that had 50 – 100 boys were given between 20 – 50 slots, thereby giving more responsibility to the leaders on how to manage the little with everybody for peace and tranquillity. To circumvent any bickering or squabble among members in the various camps, the only available option discussed and agreed upon was to either use kids’ accounts or the reconciliation of names from the court affirming the ownership of the names linked to the leader’s BVN. The purpose was to ensure effective control and management of the available slots.
It is equally important to note that direct payment to boy’s accounts was tried in 2014 or 2015 for a few months but what transpired was a total breakdown of the existing peace. The outcome was not palatable as the favoured few kept disappearing (forgetting the gentlemanly agreement among camp members that a slot (65,000) is to be shared by at least two people). The leaders were also attacked severally by their boys and were forced to pay the boys with their own money. It got to a point where the office had to intervene by granting the semi-bulk (the leaders to submit accounts under their control – for example, kids account and others) to end the fighting and killing among camp members and leaders.
It is expedient to accentuate the fact that the amnesty office is responsible for all the omissions and commissions, therefore should be blamed for whatever perceived irregularities because they forced us to resort to it after they denied us bulk payment which is still in existence. We are also entitled to bulk payment as some leaders are clandestinely paid because it serves the same purpose where one hundred boys’ stipends are paid to the camp leader account for onward distribution. This is clear discrimination and injustice for treating the same people in the same system differently. What is good for the goose is supposed to be good for the gander.
However, every attempt to make the Amnesty Interim Administrator understand the fact that there was no bad intention attached, but rather a medium to ensure that we manage ourselves to help sustain relative peace in the region. We also promised to support him to figure out ghost or floating slots in the system if he is interested but he is extremely defiant. The method Ndiomu is applying if not averted might cause great danger. It is on record that the Niger Delta crises and the recent Avengers started when several attempts to draw the attention of the federal government to the area were not only rebuffed but crackdown and repression utilized. The situation reached a crescendo when the people in the region resorted to self-help by bombing, vandalism and other categories of militant activities which negatively affected the economy.
In the same vein, the persistent neglect and continual refusal to sit with us and agree on the best modality to solve this problem that has lingered for more than seven months, thereby leaving the victims to self-help is a dangerous decision to take at this critical period. The decision to send more than three thousand three hundred and four ex-agitators back to the creeks should be circumvented at all costs because the consequences would be grave.
The total money for a month for the affected 3000 beneficiaries is 199.500,000 only, which is not up to what only one dubious contractor or some of the managers of the programme and some top amnesty staff collect in the name of this or that in a month. The programme that was established to make the lives of the former Creeks guys topnotch entrepreneurs and employers of labour has to turn around to become a medium to enrich themselves, their political friends and relatives. No single monthly provision or training or empowerment contract was provided outside the sixty-five thousand (65,000) feeding allowance for the leaders, where the leaders are left to depend on the above amount to survive. The above omissions are as well contributory factors to most of the challenges.
The primary objective of the establishment of the programme was to address the yearnings of the people of the Niger Delta Region, particularly the beneficiaries. What we need from any manager of the programme is good policies and programmes to improve the lives of the beneficiaries and inclusive leadership that will carry everyone along, and not the current management style with a lot of setbacks, ranging from delisting of beneficiaries to suspension of training and empowerment to suspension of scholarship and termination of on-going scholarship of two students for planning to organize peaceful protest because the officers refused to provide their learning gadget (laptop) for them, and lastly, the suspension of payment of more than three thousand beneficiaries for more than seven months due to perceived irregularities. Any manager of the amnesty programme is expected to make tremendous progress and not give room for retrogression. All the various managers of the programme from Air Vice Marshal Lucky Ochoko Ararile (Rtd) to Hon. Timi Alaibe to Hon. Dr Kingsley K. Kuku to Col. Paul Boroh to Late Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo to Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) made a positive and impactful contribution by providing long term/short term skill training programmes, provision of onshore and offshore scholarships and empowerments opportunities. But Gen. Ndiomu’s tenure currently has nothing practical to show because even the one billion five hundred million (1.5b) Cooperative initiative to engage the leaders is still in theory, and the part he is towing on the current matter signalled danger and the worst legacy to leave behind.
Sir, as individuals who are genuinely committed to the sustenance of peace not only in the region but in Nigeria as a whole, we have resolved to seek your intervention as there is palpable tension and we may not be able to control the boys if the government fail to address the issue with all sense of fairness and urgency. This is crucial because the country is sitting on a keg of gunpowder waiting for implosion, resulting from the 2023 general elections. Sir, as the country is about to transit from one regime to another in a few days and the palpable tensions and acrimony birthed by the outcome of the elections, no form of an uprising should be allowed to manifest no matter how infinitesimal because it might trigger other bigger problems.
We, therefore, use this medium to call on you to come to our aid by directing the amnesty office to grant us our entitlements by either replacing the affected accounts or grant granting payment since the multiple-account payment system is no more acceptable. As mentioned at the beginning of this letter, we are still in Abuja and may carry out another three peaceful protests before and on the inauguration day before returning if nothing urgent and meaningful is done.
Please accept our highest regards
Thanks
———————————– —————————————-
LEADER JULIUS JOSEPH LEADER TAM ODOGWU ‘PhD’
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN PHASE 3 AMNESTY CRITICAL STAKEHOLDER (PHASE 3 AMNESTY)
08162340389 08032679047
Cc.
The National Security Adviser
2. The Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters Abuja
3. Director General of DSS
4. The Nigeria National Assembly
5. Office of the Interim Administrator, the presidential amnesty programme
