Ex – Agitators vow to stop protest in Niger Delta

• resort to dialogue

By Amos Odhe.

The newly and authentic elected National Chairman of the third phase ex -Agitators in the Niger Delta , Gen Elaye Slaboh said his leadership will ensure that beneficiaries will not resort to protest leading to the blockage of the East- West road ( Mbiama ) but will always embank on dialogue for mutual relationship between the ex agitators and Interim Administrator of the presidential Amnesty Program , PAP, Major General Tariye Barry Ndiomu.

He attributed the incessant protests along the East West to due to lack of information and break down of communication between the office of Interim Administrator and some disgruntled privileged beneficiaries.
He said very soon the blockade of road will be a thing of the past.

Gen Elaye Slaboh, who hails from Agbere community in Sagbama local government area of Bayelsa state stated this after an enlarged meeting of the National leaders and leaders drawn from Delta, Rivers, Edo state held in Yenagoa, adding that after their inauguration he felt it was imperative for them to gather to familiarize and introduce and identify themselves and enlighten themselves about the information of the programs of the presidential Amnesty Program because the office does not know most of the things happening and it’s onus on them to give the authorities the right and proper information because a lot of persons have been misleading the PAP office based on their on their selfish interest.

“Reason for the enlarged meeting of the National leaders and leaders of the third phase of the presidential Amnesty Program ( PAP) is to identify, familiarize and enlighten ourselves for harmonious relationship between beneficiaries and the office of Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Program, Major General Tariye Barry Ndiomu”

” We as critical stakeholders we do not want to jeapadise it because they stand to gain more from the program as a people, it is our duty as leaders to enlighten them to avoid misinformation and get aquintted with correct information.

He therefore called on beneficiaries to Shun any acts that will give beneficiaries negative image and promised that protest will be reduced to the barest minimum under his tenure.” People are angered by wrong information due to negative information and promised to give the office right information to the Interim Administrator.

Members are also enjoined to liase with National Leadership at their domain and leaders to avoid friction, as most of the frictions were attributed to lack of information and once the right information is given there will be no room for protest and blocking of the East – West road, Mbiama which to an extent has been reduced.

Also speaking, the National Publicity Secretary of third phase, PAP, aka, who knows Tomorrow, Gen Inko Brighstar, from Southern Ijaw local government area, said the commended the Newly elected National Chairman of the third phase ex agitators of the presidential Amnesty Program, Gen Elaye Slaboh for convening this inaugural meeting and used the opportunity to reiterate the reasons for protest which has been due to break down in communication and the selfishness of our colleagues who usually mislead the office by giving wrong information to the Interim Administrator thereby causing the misleading of the Interim Administrator and now that we are on board we are going to do things right.

Hence there has been reason to tell them the right thing to do and lack of information who mislead the interim Administrator has been responsible to for protests at East West road.

” this is a security stabilization program, you cannot use military force on them , of course they will react, especially ex agitators , whoever that is agitating need a listening ears, dialogue should be the last resort as leaders we have vowed to give out only right information”

The program has four phases and it is just only one that has been implemented, that is disarmament, while demobilization, orientation and people have not been educated while others are unattended to and some persons called for the winding up the program, which is uncalled for.

We still clamour for the increase in stipends to beneficiaries , since 2019 people have paid #65,000.There is the
need for the increase of stipends paid to the leaders who are receiving same thing with their followers.

It should be gazetted at least #2m or #3m for whoever that comes to know that provision has been made for leaders to take care of those who were not captured during disarmament and because there is no specific money for the leaders, they resort to tampering with beneficiaries stipends. This is our candid appeal.

In his contribution, Gen Lucky Jonah, aka, oil money from Delta state said there has been, clamour , agitation and marginalization especially in Delta state and urged the office of the presidential Amnesty Program to carry everybody along without discrimination.

We called on him to carry everybody along in Delta state axis and urged the IA to carry everybody along and urged President Ahmed Tinubu to confirm him as the substantive Interim Administrator of PAP for everybody to be carried along especially those from oil producing communities.

He equally called on the office to also increase the#65,000 stipends due to inflation in the country, just as there should special funds for the leaders to avoid the leaders from receiving the same thing with their followers and commended the office for introducing the loan scheme which has made some of us to become self reliance.

” As a beneficiary we embarked on contribution , ten of us in number which l collected and ploughed into a boutique business, today l am proud to say am a land lord today .Kudos to PAP.

He said “the program has come along way, as a grassroot program we have been stabilized with the Cooperative scheme, though we appreciate the impact, but like Oliver Twist we urged him to do more for us, especially now the minimum wage of 35,000 has been approved, an upward review of the monthly stipends will be appreciated.