Ex-Niger Delta Agitators Sneak Into Abuja In Planned Protest

EKO HOT BLOG reports that over 300 ex-agitators from the Niger Delta region have arrived in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to stage a protest against the stoppage of their monthly N65,000 stipends.

The protest is scheduled to take place in response to the appointment of Maj-Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu (retd.) as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, which has led to the cessation of the monthly payments.

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It is said that the ex-agitators, comprising the first, second, and third phases of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), are determined to occupy the nation’s capital for a long-term protest if the government does not replace Ndiomu with a Niger Deltan who understands the plight of the people of the region, particularly the ex-agitators.

The ex-agitators have demanded that the government immediately suspends the planned cooperatives by the PAP and restores the training programmes, both academic and non-academic.

They also demand that ex-agitators be given a central role in the decision-making process in the Amnesty Office and not strangers who do not understand the struggle in the Niger Delta.

The report stated in quote that: “The protest in the nation’s capital shall continue until all these demands are met, before we will leave the streets of Abuja”.

The ex-agitators are determined to ensure that their voices are heard, and they are not overlooked in the decision-making process regarding issues that affect their livelihood and wellbeing.

The Niger Delta region has been fraught with unrest and militancy for several years due to a lack of development and infrastructure, resulting in poverty and unemployment.

The Presidential Amnesty Programme was created to address some of these issues by providing vocational training, education, and financial support to ex-agitators who have laid down their arms and agreed to work for peace and development in the region.

The current protest by the ex-agitators is seen as a reaction to the recent changes in the leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, which they believe does not represent their interests adequately.

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The government is yet to respond to their demands, and it remains to be seen how this will affect the already fragile peace in the Niger Delta region.