Ex-militant leaders disassociate selves from petition against Ndiomu

• Published date: 17 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Ex-agitators, under the auspices of the Niger Delta Integrity Group (NDIG), have condemned the spiteful attempt by certain so-called ex-militants and some contractors to smear the image of Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu (rtd.) in his quest to reform the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

The NDIG said the claims of alleged diversion of PAP funds by Ndiomu as recently published in some news platforms were untrue, baseless, unfounded and a case of sponsored attempt to cause distraction from the good work of the new PAP administration.

In a statement yesterday by the Convener, NDIG, Dr. Boma Horsfall, the ex-militants noted with utmost dismay, how some Ijaw had chosen to remain non-futuristic, disunited and were sticking to the culture of 'Pulling Down Syndrome'.

Horsfall recalled how the likes of Brig. Gen. Paul Boro (rtd), the late Prof. Charles Dokubo and others, who were of Ijaw ethnic stock, were pulled down by their own people.

He said: 'It is sad that our people have maintained the trend of writing petitions to drag one another, rather than focusing on things that will move Niger Delta forward. The NDIG recalls that there was a time when a northerner was appointed on interim basis to head the PAP. Did they write petitions at the time?

'We have it on good authority that a certain portfolio contractor and his associates have been threatening to blackmail the interim administrator for refusing to pay him a dubious sum of N1.5billion.

'The contractor never delivered contracts awarded to him, and has been doing so in connivance with a suspected mole in the PAP Accounts Department.'

'The PAP receives a monthly budgetary allocation of N5billion. Out of this amount, over N3.8billion is exhausted on paying monthly stipends of ex-agitators with bulk payments to their leaders, who are...