Ex-Niger Delta warlords vow to expose saboteurs

Former Niger Delta warlords have vowed to name and shame those they termed saboteurs of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

The former warlords said they backed the ongoing reforms introduced by the Interim Administrator of PAP, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio, especially steps taken to remove ghost beneficiaries from the PAP’s payroll.

They spoke at the weekend after a meeting with Dikio at Agadagba-Obon, Ese-Odo local government area of Ondo State.

The leaders of phases one to three amnesty beneficiaries made their position known during a meeting with Dikio.

On his part, Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, aka Boyloaf, stated that lip service to reforms in the amnesty programme by former heads of the scheme emboldened fraudulent persons to continue to reap where they did not sow.

Victor-Ben noted that the ongoing verification exercise to end the fraud in the amnesty system denied many authentic ex-agitators the opportunity to benefit from the monthly stipends.

He urged all lovers of the Niger Delta region to support Dikio on the verification exercise instead of stacking him for cleaning the Augean stable and repositioning the programme.

Victor-Ben, who called for unity and peaceful coexistence among all former warlords, urged them to shun all actions capable of derailing the amnesty programme.

High Chief Bibopere Ajube, aka Shoot-at-sight, said the incessant petitions and court cases instituted against the amnesty office were acts of distraction by anti-progressive forces in the region.

Chief Ajube charged leaders of the various phases to work for the actualization of the new PAP vision introduced by Dikio to accelerate the development of the region and ensure sustained peace.

He said they would join forces with Dikio to name and shame individuals who planned to embarrass the system with frivolous petitions and court cases.

Dikio, on his part, said suspension of an account belonging to any ex-agitator was not total cancelation and assured that all cleared accounts would be paid outstanding stipend arrears.

He said a former warlord whom he refused to name has been receiving monies meant for 400 people in connivance with some government officials.

Dikio said his vision for the PAP was anchored on promoting entrepreneurship and building a peaceful Niger Delta that would be a reference point as an ideal place to live and do business because of its climatic stability.

“I am not deterred by those, who have made me their project to criticize. The reforms we have embarked on are not targeted at anyone or group but to sanitise the system,” he said.

(The Nation)