By Francis Sadhere
Exilitants in the Niger Delta region may be forced to go back to the creeks of their allowances owed them by the Federal Government are not paid, warned the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide.
IYC who spoke through their spokesperson, Barr. Eric Omare in a statement made available to our correspondent in Warri on Wednesday, warned of brewing crisis in the region over hardship occasioned by accumulated stipends owned ex-militants by the federal government.
IYC also condemned alleged insensitive disposition of the Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, General Paul Boroh, to the suffering of the ex-militants.
It said, “We are amazed that instead of General Boroh to take extra ordinary steps and impress it on the Ministry of Finance the security sensitive nature of the amnesty programme; he is instead sending text messages upon text message without any result.
“The IYC wonders if General Boroh and the federal government are sabotaging the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta region so as to cause instability in the region or are sincerely committed to its implementation.”
IYC also called on the National Security Adviser (NSA), General Mohammed Munguno, under whose office the amnesty programme is domiciled, to take steps to immediately effect the relevant payments to avoid unnecessary hostility in the Niger Delta region.
“We reject the flimsy excuse offered by the General Boroh that the Treasury single account (TSA) is the reason for the delay in the payment of the monthly stipends to ex-militants.
“The TSA did not affect salaries and allowances of staffs of the amnesty programme that have been paid their salaries and allowance and persons under special federal government programmes such as the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) that have been paid their monthly stipends even before the Christmas celebrations. So why is the case of Niger Delta ex-militants different?” IYC queried.
