Ex-agitators, under the auspices of the Niger Delta Integrity Group (NDIG), have condemned the spiteful attempt by certain so-called ex-militants and some contractors to smear the image of Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu (rtd.) in his quest to reform the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
The NDIG said the claims of alleged diversion of PAP funds by Ndiomu as recently published in some news platforms were untrue, baseless, unfounded and a case of sponsored attempt to cause distraction from the good work of the new PAP administration.
In a statement yesterday by the Convener, NDIG, Dr. Boma Horsfall, the ex-militants noted with utmost dismay, how some Ijaw had chosen to remain non-futuristic, disunited and were sticking to the culture of ‘Pulling Down Syndrome’.
Horsfall recalled how the likes of Brig. Gen. Paul Boro (rtd), the late Prof. Charles Dokubo and others, who were of Ijaw ethnic stock, were pulled down by their own people.
He said: “It is sad that our people have maintained the trend of writing petitions to drag one another, rather than focusing on things that will move Niger Delta forward. The NDIG recalls that there was a time when a northerner was appointed on interim basis to head the PAP. Did they write petitions at the time?
“We have it on good authority that a certain portfolio contractor and his associates have been threatening to blackmail the interim administrator for refusing to pay him a dubious sum of N1.5billion.
“The contractor never delivered contracts awarded to him, and has been doing so in connivance with a suspected mole in the PAP Accounts Department.”
“The PAP receives a monthly budgetary allocation of N5billion. Out of this amount, over N3.8billion is exhausted on paying monthly stipends of ex-agitators with bulk payments to their leaders, who are called the ‘Big Five’. Educational scholarships are also facilitated from this monthly fund.
“Unpaid contractors are settled from the same fund. The day-to-day running of the PAP office, stakeholders engagement meetings, salaries of workers, are all paid from this fund. So what remains to be diverted?”
Horsfall said given the huge monthly expenditure of the PAP, the said sum of N12billion being diverted is laughable and unrealistic.
He noted: “These disgruntled elements have only been provoked by the refusal of Gen. Ndiomu to dance to their tune and the strictness of the committee set-up by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), which recommended that contractors who did not execute their contracts should not be paid.
“This is the same culture in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), where contractors are fraudulently demanding payments for contract they didn’t execute.
“We are, however, aware that the majority of these ex-agitators are jobless and can be used as a tool for destruction. But the good news is that Gen. Ndiomu is working tirelessly to create sustainable livelihoods for them. To this end, they must now desist from being continuously used as a tool in the hands of their brainless sponsors.
“The ongoing reforms in the PAP are no doubt triggering this fight-back. We urge Gen. Ndiomu to publish the fabricated job report done by this so-called contractor, so the world will see the dubious nature of these characters and also take the bold step of identifying and removing the moles in his office working together with these enemies of progress.”
