ex-Militants issues 14-day ultimatum over unpaid allowances

Some ex-militants in Delta State have threatened to go back to the creeks and attack oil installations if the federal government and its amnesty office fail to pay arrears of their allowances since 2010.

The ex-agitators, who gave the federal government two weeks to pay them, described the recalcitrant posture of some leaders towards their plight as frustrating.

They said after embracing amnesty and undergoing non-violence training at Obubra in Cross River State and other trainings outside the country, their monthly allowances are not being remitted to their individual bank accounts.

The ex-militants stated this in a communiqué issued in Akure, the Ondo State capital. The communiqué was signed by three officials of the disgruntled ex-agitators who also provided their registration numbers at the amnesty office. The signatories are the public relationship officer, Eric O. Ajagidi (C01/B11/A1/14098); secretary, Soroh Dorwei Travel (C01/B11/B1/14205); and publicity secretary, Prince Degbe Jonah (C01/B11/B1/14127).

They said they belonged to the Tompolo Camp while Tomukebiri D. Franklyn (C01/B11/A1/14068), Ikiyan Roland Owei (C03/B10/E2/13477), and Arthur fenetobour harvest (V02/B10/D5/13375) belonged to Ezekiel Camp.

In the communiqué, the ex- militants lamented that they have been facing hardship and frustrations for the past three years over the unpaid allowances, saying all efforts to resolve the issues in a gentleman approach have not yielded positive result.

They therefore threatened to use violence to pursue their demands from the federal government and the amnesty office.

”We will go back to the creeks and start vandalizing and blowing off oil installations in the state if the federal government and amnesty office did not correct the anomaly between the stipulated period of two weeks,” they said .

According to them, out of their willingness to ensure peace in their area, they surrendered their arms and ammunition and embraced the amnesty programme of the government; but the government did not fulfill its own part of the agreement

The ex-militants said the government by its action, wants them to return to the creeks to resume their violent activities. They said they have approached traditional rulers and community leaders to wade into the matter, but all efforts proved abortive.