Ex-militants ask FG to probe past NDDC board

A group of former Niger Delta militants have threatened to go back to the creeks if the Federal Government failed to probe the past Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

The former fighters, who are currently students of King Amachree African University in Benin Republic, said they were ready to arm themselves with guns if funds approved by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for Niger Delta youths’ empowerment were not released for the purposes they were meant for.

One of the ex-militants, Ani Igiofori, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Saturday, stated that they were promised N500,000 each as empowerment allowance after being enrolled at a university in Benin Republic.



The ex-militant lamented that the 129 beneficiaries of the scheme, which began in April 2015, had yet to get the empowerment funds from the NDDC.

Igiofori urged President Buhari to intervene before they (ex-militants) get frustrated and go back to the creeks.

He said, “If they (NDDC) fail to empower us, we will go back to the creeks. They should empower us very well. This board should investigate the immediate past board led by Bassey Dan-Abia.

“We are calling on the new Acting Managing Director, NDDC, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, to empower Rivers State youths. They should empower the Niger Delta youths so that we can leave militancy completely. They said we should shun kidnapping and armed robbery, but they should empower us.”

Another former militant, ‘Commander’ Mike Bassey, said they were ready to go back to the creeks if nothing was done to settle their bills in the university.

He said, “We are begging President Buhari to intervene. The past management of the NDDC did not empower us and the youths of the Niger Delta region are suffering. The stipends and toiletries they used to give us amount to N30,000 every month.

“They (NDDC) said they removed us from the streets for us to be better citizens. But now, we may return to the streets. The Federal Government should arrest them and ask them what they did with the money earmarked for youth empowerment during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.”

Another ex-militant leader, ‘General’ Marvin Ovie, called on the NDDC to release the N500,000 empowerment fund promised each of them, saying the fund was approved by the Jonathan administration.

Ovie said, “We want President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene, arrest those involved in this fraud and provide our need because we do not want to go back to the creeks again.

“Let them (NDDC) give us the funds they promised us as our empowerment package. All these have been signed (approved) by former President Goodluck Jonathan. They (NDDC) are aware that our training will end this year (2016).”

Reacting to the claims, the Head of Corporate Affairs Department at the NDDC, Mr. Ibitoye Abosede, revealed that contrary to the position of the ex-militant students, the former Managing Director (Dan-Abia) had approved the payment for their empowerment package.

Abosede attributed the non-payment of the package to the delay in the process, maintaining that the students (ex-militants) would soon get paid.

“The former managing director has signed and approved some funds to be disbursed to the students being trained in Benin Republic by the NDDC but the payment is being delayed. Very soon, the students will be paid,” Abosede said.