PAP: Mischievous attacks, campaign of calumny can’t stop resistance against plans to steal over 2000 ex-agitators slots -Dr Odogwu

•I can’t exit when notable ex-agitators have not exit PAP

By Miracle Esegha

Former Warlord Dr Tam Odogwu has said that mischievous attacks, campaign of calumny being embarked upon by what he described as faceless groups can’t stop resistance against plans to steal over 2000 ex-agitators slots in the guise of multiple BVN challenges.

This was disclosed in a statement which he signed and was sent to reporters on Tuesday.

Dr. Odogwu while responding to attack on his person described Niger Delta Integrity Group (NDIG) and Niger Delta coalition group as faceless groups hired to blackmail him for standing against injustice meted for over 2000 ex-agitators.

He said, “Ordinary I would have ignored the faceless social media group describing themselves  as Niger Delta Integrity Group (NDIG) and Niger Delta coalition group because I believe they are paid to misinform the general public to make it look like there was an exit strategy but I, Odogwu Tam (PhD) refuse to exit the programme. I would have felt bad if the writers were able to mention names of reputable and well established ex-agitators that have exited the programme.

The former agitator asserted that the doctoral degree scholarship and N65,000 monthly stipend as mentioned by the group his entitlements like every other leader that surrendered arms and ammunition to the federal government.

He stated, “In my letters and publications, I kindly advice that he should either give room for replacement of the affected accounts or make bulk payment to the leaders to correct the injustice and discrimination. Secondly, those that have genuine cases of been shortchanged by their camp leaders should be identified and immediately absorb.

“However, my gratitude knows no bounds for the various managers of the programme before Major Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd) for their meaningful contributions and sacrifices directly or indirectly. I already completed my doctorate degree programme before Ndiomu was appointed and there was no any support from the office for my graduation party. It is also on record that he went further to suspend scholarship  and vocational training programmes after his assignment to end the programme failed. Ndiomu still have the power and opportunity to do the needful and get appreciated”, he added.

The PhD graduate, Odogwu stated that there was no exit plan of ex-agitators in the programme but rather designed for beneficiaries to be part of it till the final closure of the programme.

The statement reads, “The Self-styled Integrity Group need to be informed that exit strategy is not originally part of the Niger Delta Amnesty deal, and those trying to initiate it has gotten it wrong. It was first initiated by the Col. Dikio (rtd) administration but could not implement it because he later saw the challenges. A lot has to be done before anybody can implement it. The current Interim Administrator, Major Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd) want to ensure that it is implemented in his tenure without putting into consideration the security implications.

According to him, he was not necessarily fighting for himself but having been enlightened and exposed he decided to fight a course of justice for over 2000 victimized ex-agitators whose accounts were suspended by the interim administrator of the presidential amnesty programme, Major Gen Barry Ndiomu.

“It is significant to also educate the sponsored media groups that it is my responsibility to use my wealth of knowledge and position to fight against injustice on helpless citizens, particularly my colleagues in the amnesty programme. No educated person will sit down and watch a broad day robbery in the name of a selective, discriminatory, and anti-peace reform that has the potential to snowball into fresh hostility in the region.

Odogwu, however, urged president Muhammedu Buhari, NSA and Attorney general to educate Ndiomu of the security implications of forcefully collecting PAP beneficiaries slots to himself.

“Therefore, calling on president Muhammedu Buhari, NSA and Attorney general and other appropriate authorities to enlightened Ndiomu or whoever to reconsider his decision to forcefully collect what rightfully belong to the ex-agitators due to a correctable irregularities, thereby sending them back to the creeks without putting  the security implications into consideration. I am still using this avenue to reemphasize the fact that the amnesty programme is not a perfectly established institution bereft of errors or irregularities”, he maintained.

“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. The decision to send more than two thousand ex-agitators back to the creeks should be reconsidered because the consequences would be grave.

“The Doctoral degree scholarship and N65,000 monthly stipend as mentioned by the group are my entitlements like every other leader that surrendered arms and ammunition to the federal government. They are my rightful benefits because I didn’t come through the back door. For example, a retired military officer cannot forgo his or her military retirement benefits because it is their entitlements.

“Do you sanitize payroll data for ex-agitators by collecting the people slots?. If it is a crime to use two or three of your accounts to collect your guns benefits, why is Ndiomu paying 200 or 300 slots money (millions) as bulk payments to individual accounts?

“I do not have personal issues or fight with my leader, Ndiomu for a campaign of calumny and slander, rather his decision to forcefully take the slots that was given to the ex-agitators in exchange for the guns surrendered which is not a good decision.

“It is may interest him to know that the Niger Delta Amnesty is a technical and peculiar programme, therefore does not require the application of military oriented policies, actions and decisions”, he explained.