THE SUN

Ex-militants from the nine States of the Niger Delta region have raised an 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-militant leaders, in a statement issued yesterday via electronic mail and made available to newsmen warned members of the National Assembly to desist from their alleged blackmail and threats against officials of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

In a 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. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd.)” the ex-militants stated.

They added that no amount of blackmail or intimidation will sway Col Dikio (rtd.) stressing that unlike his predecessors, the incumbent has been paying contractors for all executed projects.

The statement noted read in part : “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”