A FRESH unrest is in the offing between the former militant leaders and their boys of the Niger Delta amnesty third phase over the alleged non-payment of the N65,000 monthly stipends.
Several militant leaders, who met at Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli-North Council of Delta State, under the leadership of the chairman of phase three, Kingsley Odiri, said the camp leaders among the erstwhile militants were worried that their boys were not included in the payment, a situation that has pitched the boys against them and now set them on war path.
According to him, the N65,000 to each of the camp leaders had become “fire and petrol in their bosom,” as the boys who were part owners of the guns they surrendered, were poised to unleash terror on the leaders over their exclusion from the payment.
At the meeting were John Musa (vice chairman) and Etakibuebu Johnny Walker (secretary). The leaders thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for approving the inclusion of the erstwhile agitators in the third phase of the programme, and the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty, Kingsley Kuku, for his co-operation, which culminated in the N65,000 monthly payment.
Odiri also urged the Federal Government to document the boys and employ the approach it used for the payment of former militants of phases one and two of the amnesty programme for peace to reign, “because if we are not safe, the Niger Delta region too will not be safe.”
They warned that if they do not get a firm response from the Federal Government on or before May 25, 2013, “we shall storm Abuja with our boys.”