By Steve Seigha. Warri
Former dreaded spokesman and combatant of the defunct Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), the group led by late General John Togo who died in operation during a bloody gun duel with the Nigerian Army in 2010/2011 had disclosed that since the departure of Chief Timi Alaibe and Dr. Kingsley Kuku, the amnesty programme was in the hands of usurpers and goal diggers which made the programed suffered adversely with retired Ijaw military generals. They almost nailed the coffin of the programme by working with enemies of Niger Delta to end the amnesty programme.
They harassed ex-generals with soldiers and some intimidated with arrest by EFCC, others monthly benefits were stopped for no reason while they and their cohorts went to the bank smiling.Infacr, the original set goals and visions.were derailed under former Presiden Mohammedu Buhari. Nobody could speak as they will tag you enemy of the government and deal with you.
According to the former leader of ex-Niger Delta agitator ” The appointment of High Chief (Dr.) Dennis Otuaro by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a right decision by Mr. President He will bring the programme back to track as many irregularities would be corrected to position it and rekindle the hopes and aspirations of ex-agitators as well as Niger Delta people to achieve an enduring peace in the region’. I want him to overall the office by sacking all the directors who connived with the retired Ijaw army generals to derail the programme and appoint fresh good hands to move the programme to the next level.”
Captain Mark granted a one on one exclusive interview to Daily Watch at the ongoing stakeholders meeting in Warri Saturday between the PAP boss, Dr. Dennis Otuaro and delegates from the various phases
He said” I am a trained teacher and so I told Dr. Kingsley Kuku that I will accept the amnesty granted to our group by former President Goddluck Jonathan. That I will not belittle myself to be captured in the database to be paid paltry N65,000 with my hard earned University degrees. That amnesty programme criminalized Niger Delta youths and I will allow the Nigerian government to do so with me for fighting for freedom of my people to be tagged as ex-militant. He said no problem. Dr. Kuku in his own magnanimity was paying me monthly stipend which was far better than the N65,000.
” When his tenure expired, one dull Paul Boroh from Bayelsa took charge and I went to him in 2016 at the amnesty office at Abuja and narrated my flight to him to be considered for empowerment. The idiot said ” he didn’t know me and will not accord me such honouur” He was shouting at the top of his voice that he would work me out of the office, if I don’t leave. Here is a man from nowhere eating large at the expense of our armed struggle. Barking at Captain Mark Anthony because I have been disarmed and made a toothless bulldog. I actually left for my hotel to avoid any embarrassment. No transport or any form of hospitality from him. How could you know Capt.Mark Anthony when you are not part of the Niger Delta struggle? Chief Timi Alaibe will not say he didn’t know me and others. The guys put me in perpetual deprivation from the amnesty office since I stopped going to the office to avoid embarrassment. In the first place, what informed former President Muhammadu Buhari that it is only retired Ijaw senior soldiers that could manage the amnesty office? These guys were not part of us and so know nothing about the management of the programme. No President, present or future one should make the big error like Buhari by compensating Ijaw retired soldiers with the amnesty programme to loot. freely without giving their stewaesship. Yet, terrorize us with their boys
”Today, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has brought in a man who suffered with us in the creek to take charge of the amnesty programme. The coming of Dr. Dennis Otuaro is the begining of good things to come in the office. He understands the struggle and knows who is who in Niger Delta among the various ex-agitators. He will bring his expertise to the programme and Nigerians will see it. Nobody in Abuja should keep plan to sofficate a the new PAP boss as they did to the retired generals. We will not accept it. Nobody, including the National security adviser,. I know Mr. President who appointed him will give him free hands to work because he loves the Niger Delta region .We ex-agitators love him and we will work closely with him to succeed. What those Ijaw retired military brigadier general did to many of us was enough to spark another round of crisis in Niger Delta. But we swallowed the insults and intimidation. I was not the only victim in this direction. One Urhobo general Israel Akpodoro was recounting his experience and others how these Ijaw goal diggers maltreated them. Many were beaten by soldiers at Amnesty office gate and hospitalized. Others were arrested. Many generals could not access their payment and cannot complain for fear of harrasmenrt ” He told Daily Watch.
Asked if the programme will not spark crisis in Niger Delta again between Niger Delta youths and soldiers? He said” We are all tired to carry arms and there will be no fight for now. That is not to say all is well with the real oil bearing communities in Niger Delta. The things ( injustices) that took us to the trench against federal troops are nakedly glaring at us in the face. The amnesty programme didn’t touch the blue print of infrastructure deficit and abject poverty in Niger Delta, vis-a-vis with environmental pollution that cut short the life span of Niger Delta people. For me, I am getting holder and will not like to carry AK-47-riffle any longer. That is the same thing with other youths that participated in the gloomy arms insurrection in the Niger Delta region. Between you and I will describe the amnesty programme a delay Godly programme to douse the tension in Niger Delta. But with the way it is, if the original goals and visions of the programme are not implemented and only training and N65,009 monthly stipend, my brother the programme is a ”time bomb” as the next generation cannot continue to take this age long injustice.” He revealed.
