Ex-militants from the nine states of the Niger Delta region have raised alarm over alleged attempts by some members of the National Assembly to pressure the Presidential Amnesty Office to engage in alleged N1.8b fraudulent payments for unexecuted fraudulent contracts.
The Ex-militants, under the aegis of a transparency advocacy group, Movement for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta, allegedly accused a Senator Senator from Delta state and other members of the National Assembly of pressuring the Presidential Amnesty Office to engage in alleged N1.8b fraudulent payments for unexecuted fraudulent Amnesty contracts awarded since 2018.
The Ex-militant leaders, in a statement issued through electronic mail and made available to newsmen warned the Senator and his colleagues at the National Assembly to desist from their alleged blackmail and childish threats against officials of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) that if such shady and illegal payments for unknown jobs purportedly executed during past administrations are not made, the PAP will be made to go through unending probes.
The statement, which was signed by the Executive Director of the Movement for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta, Chief Ayibatekena Olodin alleged that, “instead of the members of the National Assembly to support the PAP’s anti-corruption drive and ensure the enshrinement of probity, they are busy showing incompetence and negligence against the people of the Niger Delta.”
“We are aware that the owners of the N1.8billion unexecuted contracts that are seeking payments from the Amnesty office approached members of the National Assembly to arm-twist the Amnesty office into paying these unexecuted fraudulent contracts for which these National Assembly members are planning to probe Amnesty finances from 2018 when these unexecuted fraudulent contracts were awarded which led to the looting of the Amnesty Training centre in Boro town, Kaiama, Bayelsa state.”
“Rather than working with the presidency, and ensuring that President Muhammadu Buhari quickly set up a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) or pass legislation that will protect the commission against further acts of fraud, they are busy plotting how to blackmail and disrupt the good works and recorded success at the Presidential Amnesty office under the leadership of Col. Millard Dixon Dikio (rtd.).”
“These National Assembly members and politicians must understand that no amount of blackmail or intimidation will sway the Present Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col. Milard Dixion Dikio (rtd.). Unlike his predecessors, Col. Dikio (rtd.) has been paying contractors for all executed projects. He has been effectively and efficiently piloting the affairs of the Amnesty Programme. You don’t need to know him personally for him to pay you. As long as you have done your job, and your file has been processed by the Amnesty officials, Col. Dikio will approve your payment and everyone in the Niger Delta region knows this, ex-agitators are unanimously pleased with his performance and are united behind him.”
“Should the members of the National Assembly continue in their alleged blackmail of the Amnesty Programme, we will not hesitate to use the legal system against them, and mobilize all ex-militants across the Niger Delta region to protest against their blackmail and intimidations, and where possible, we will make public all their associates records of unexecuted contracts meant to defraud the Niger Delta people”
“These politicians are without shame or the fear of God in them, they have successfully destroyed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Look at what is happening at the NDDC with unexecuted contracts. The same Senator’s name has been mentioned along with his colleagues at the National Assembly. This has become a national embarrassment, therefore if these politicians think that they will bring that leg they used in destroying the NDDC, to also destroy the Amnesty Programme meant for ex-militants, they must rethink their strategy because we are ready for them” the statement reads.
