Ex-militants threaten violence over non-payment of allowance

Ex-Niger Delta militants undergoing Electric Power Transformer Repairs and Maintenance training under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) on Monday, vowed to return to violence in the creeks of Niger Delta, over non-payment of training allowance.

The trainees, who are about 200 in number, joined by other sympathetic ex-militants moved in protest from the Rivers State University, Training Camp, to the New GRA Zonal Office of the PAP in Port Harcourt, where they expressed their frustrations.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Murphy Ganaga, spokesman to Prof Charles Dokubo, Coordinator of the PAP, said, “No comment”

Biira Barida of the Osama ExMilitants Camp, who spoke for the protesters, said the training billed to last for nine months has been stalled due to stoppage of their N90,000 monthly allowance after two months payment by the contractor in charge over alleged non-remittance by the PAP office.

Barida said, “we resumed 3rd July 2019, only to be asked to go home October 31, due to lack of funding and refusal to pay contractual obligations to contractor/consultant of the Electric power Transformer Repairs and Maintenance Training.

“Most disappointing is the fact that power distribution is a major challenge in Nigeria, due to very limited skilled and semi-skilled manpower in this technical intensive area. The training was envisioned to grow local capacity in transformer manufacturing and maintenance to save millions of dollars on overseas training or technical support.

“If N4.5billion could be expended on procurement of items which were later looted, why can’t Amnesty office pay for this training, that is very essential for national growth? Why do government and its agencies prefer violence to meaningful engagement?”

The protesters called on President Buhari to urgently intervene and pay them their allowances within seven working days.