By Joy Emmanuel Yenagoa
Former militants from three Niger Delta states yesterday sent a protest letter to Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, over alleged refusal of the Presidential Amnesty on non-inclusion in the ongoing implementation process in the region. Eighteen aggrieved ex-militant leaders, drawn from Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states, who embraced
the amnesty under the third phase in 2012, warned that though they had tendered their grievances before a competent Federal High Court with suit number FHC/ YNG/CS/102/2013, the failure of the Presidential Amnesty Offi ce to comply with Court order to appear before it was provoking renewed tension and frustration among the youth. Th e protest letter, signed by Asenekiri Oyinle, Angiama-Owei Oyindoubra, John Government, Henry Gomoromo, John Sawyer, Trydi Okpeke, Dollar Motor, Selebi Ayowei, Bobra Angese, Ekerebi Umber, alleged that the frustration and deceit played out during the era of Kingsley Kuku-led amnesty committee, was repeated by the Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh committee, without due respect to the Court processes and orders.
It read in part: “Th e amnesty committee erred by refusing to include us in the ongoing programmes after series of resolutions from meetings with the past and present National Security Advisers to the President, Late Gen. Owei Azazi and Col. Dasuki Sambo, respectively. “Instead of respecting the resolutions and directives from the National Security Adviser, Dasuki Sambo, the committee turned down the call to include the exmilitants and adopted a divide and rule tactics with the inclusion of three out of the 22 persons. “We are asking the court to compel the defendants to pay due allowances of the plaintiff s and their foot soldiers from March, 2012 until the plaintiff s are fully settled under the Niger Delta Amnesty Committee.
