The Federal Government has commenced the direct payment of N65,000 monthly stipends to former militants in the Niger Delta region, with the payment of the three months arrears owed them.
The Chief of Staff in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Colonel Dedis Abel (Rtd) said the Federal Government will no longer make such payments through leaders of the ex-militants.
He made this known while launching the direct payment exercise in Port Harcourt, the Rivers Stare capital yesterday.
Abel said, “The Amnesty Office took the decision to pay the ex-agitators directly following reports of complicity and short-changing of some of them by the leaders.
Reports revealed that some of the ex-agitators were paid as low as N20,000 out of the N65,000 which does not conform with the mandate of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.“Henceforth, payment of the monthly stipend would be made directly to each beneficiary with focus to eliminate cases of fraud and short-changing by their leaders. Similarly, this exercise will enable us to collect
biometrics of beneficiaries and to create Bank Verification Numbers to enable government to make future payments through their individual bank
accounts”.
He added that the week-long direct payment was to off-set the October, November and December arrears owed to more than 2,000 former agitators drawn from several ex-agitators’ camps in the state and environs, stressing that out of the 30,000 beneficiaries under the Amnesty Programme, only 13,000 had received either formal education or vocational training before the present team came onboard.
culled:information ng.
Please somebody remind me again why these militants must be paid?
I always ask the same question...why pay people not to carry guns?...easy money...
ReplyDelete@Stella,Millitants must be paid because they deserve it!
DeleteWhile unemployed graduates litter the streets? So unfair!
DeleteImagine! Then the graduates should better become militants to get paid since there's no job than dropping resumes .
ReplyDeleteI heard he wants to use them to campaign against biafra
DeleteI hope he succeed cox how are we sure the people directed to pay them are paying them
U know na,ghost workers things.
So now you know?
DeleteWell, I guess the government signed an amnesty agreement with them to cease fire and withdraw from their vandalism of the pipelines. The loss was getting too much.. and most government is always faced with rebellious militants. And as such, to keep them on track, they agreed to give them monthly allowance. Instead of stealing our oil and selling at ridiculous prices.
ReplyDeleteIt's just like trying to keep them off what could have been a battle btw them and the government...cos the battle is best imagined. Of which the government would be losing out if they continued. More like "taming ur dog'.
But what I think the federal government should do is to employ their services officially, so to guide the pipelines. Matter of fact they should become workers in the refineries, where their "talent" will be fully utilized/exhibited.. and the monies paid them monthly will be deserving. Oh well, that's what I think o.
That's what I think too.
DeleteGiving them monthly allowance for doing nothing will end up making them become mentally lazy and over dependent on the government. The government cannot solve all your problems. They need to seize this opportunity now that the government is giving them a lot of attention and make a sustainable demand because a new change in government can bring an end to this monthly allowance except of course it's constitutionality which I known it's not. They have minister for Niger Delta, they can make meaningful demand through that ministry.
GOD IS NIGERIA
At ur first paragraph: I agree.totally agree.but for how long?
DeleteAnd To think that there are honest men and women being owed salaries(some Don die Sef) for months and monies are bn paid to dese people is heart-breaking.
My own is dis:There should be a lasting solution to this.this group of people can't hold a whole nation to ransom like this.ah!
Well since the government has decided to give free money, as of now, I'm a militant as well
DeleteAnon 10:41, u can't be a militant cos u're not from niger delta. And again they are not taking new recruit anymore..
DeleteStella, u're talking as if u're not from niger delta.
Go to the creeks and see why,moreover that part of the agreement under the amnesty programme
ReplyDeleteHe stopped paying them before
DeleteNow he fear them may help the igbo people so he wants to gain love from them.
And use them to campaign against biafra so he now stated that the money must be given to u directly,bc he felt the money going into amnesty was much that some ogas at the top might just be feeding from it for nothing
Which is true.
That's better they should be paid directly so some selfish people will stop using them to enrich their pockets
ReplyDeletethanks to everyone who wished me well and those who yabed me I sincerely love ❤ u all . God bless sdkers
ReplyDeleteThen #5000 to unemployed citizens?
ReplyDeleteNa to turn militant naw....
Stella, it's part of the amnesty program which started in yar aduas time. I'm happy as they are been paid directly,at least their money go dey reach their hands unlike when it passed through thier ogas who end up giving them less than half of the money.
ReplyDeleteLet him not pay now let them start trouble again after destroying thier water, lands and oil and leaving them hungry and poor
ReplyDeleteStella you are a fool, you are a Niger delta lady,haven't you heard of how federal government take their things and make them hungry with no compensation,
ReplyDeleteAnd you had to call her a fool under anon? Coward!
DeleteEnd time payment
ReplyDeleteWhen doctors and teachers are still owed arrears.
ReplyDeleteTah! Mr Tourism
ReplyDeleteAnother bunch of lies from the lying liars.
ReplyDeleteAccepting the idea of them being paid or not:it wont have any effect on the Governments decision to continue paying them the said amount..
ReplyDeleteReason: The Nigerian government know what they gain from the oil over there;so if they(Ex-milli) dont get their own share of #65k,they would start the oil war all over again...and they have nothing to lose;but the government do!!
so its more like "Oya Bros allow me to collect the oil while i give you your share of 65k monthly"..#Business
Iwotago..
@MARTINS ABOY
Bros chop kiss!
DeleteExplain dat to stella, so dat she will understand y da federal govt pay ex milliants.
The truth of the matter is that most youths from these various oil rich communities in Niger Delta are very lazy and don't want to work. All they want is to depend on government or get rich quick.
ReplyDeleteOne day, a new government will be tired of paying you guys monthly for doing nothing. It would have been preferable if they demanded a special job opportunities for every youth in their communities, force the rich oil companies to develop or set up business opportunities in the community where they reside. Most of these oil companies can not boast of a meaningful project they have started and sustained in any community. Why not demand that every youth be incorporated into maritime and work directly or indirectly with the Nigeria navy to protect your waters that is been polluted. Demand for automatic enjoyment of your youths every year into these oil companies that make billions of dollars in your land
How much is 60, 000+? Money that will end up been spent on frivolities.
GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
N65,000 for doing what? This country is just so messed up. Meanwhile, my younger brother, who has a BSC degree in Economics is being paid a flimsy N20,000 for a very stressful, demeaning and time consuming job. Shame on this country!
ReplyDeleteLol.
ReplyDeleteGoes to show that as The president some things are done not because they are right,but to move the country forward,it MUST be done. *sigh*
Since Baba could not wriggle out of this one. It means his hands are tied.
To me,apart from the persistent fight against corruption which hopefully we will win,i do not actually see much difference between this administration and the past ones.
Nigeria my country,hmmmm
And since we are still paying these militants,Governors should equally come up with a way to pay civil servants. These are hard-working men and women being owed their wages.
ReplyDeleteThey wanna scrap minimum wage? Ndi ori!!!
Stella cock nd dick they must be paid so that we wont have Biafra,Boko Haram,militants nd shites at d same time seems u had some this morning
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly is your point?
DeleteNa payments like this give ine armed robber the audacity to ask that he be granted amnesty too. Yet we say we are broke as a nation but continue to criminals for being crooked.
ReplyDelete65k for militants who do nothing for the country while corpers are paid 19,500 since time immemorial for serving their father's land!!! I hail this country o
ReplyDeletePaying militants for doing nothing, na wa o. And graduates are there looking for jobs. This is so unfair. But I am baba had no choice but to agree to their demand.
ReplyDeleteAmnesty program
ReplyDeleteVery well
It's good they are paying them o o for peace abeg, even in US people that are from the oil producing state eg Texas get something from it, if it's not necessary trust Presido he'll not
ReplyDeleteThank God they have started paying them. We dont want another scarcity of fuel in this country because that is their specialization. Destroying pipelines.
ReplyDeleteOne reason why these people will perpetually remain backwards. You hold the govt to ransom just so you can get 65k monthly and you call that a life? I pity these illiterates!
ReplyDeleteStella u fall my hand.... As a Delta lady . Have u been to villages where most of the money in Nigeria re coming from? Pls go and see how the live mostly the young people,,. Hunger in the highest level. Aboard u have job seeker allowance so it's thier allowance .
ReplyDeleteThey even earn more than the learned civil servants. A clear case of ebe la nbe osika.
ReplyDeleteI thought they said the payments will stop since it's like encouraging the exmillitants?
ReplyDeletePay them to actually do something
ReplyDeleteBend the necks of the oil companies to start environmentally friendly factories/fabrication/ business in the community
No work no pay
Simple
Laziness should not be encouraged
Anyway, is still good dat dey are paid due to d pollution if der mineral resources.
ReplyDeleteBut I still suggest dat dey shld hv demanded fr better job employment instead monthly chicken change.
It is a welcome development cos the money will go directly to them.
ReplyDeleteTheir youths are lazy....confirm lazy.
ReplyDeleteYou will see a secondary sch boy receiving N30k and wasting it.