Prominent indigenes of the nine states of the Niger Delta have expressed concern over the alleged attempts by the Amnesty Committee to waste millions of dollars deposited with foreign institutions of learning for the training of ex-militants from the region due to multiple breach of contracts.
The concerned indigenes have written to President Muhammadu Buhari over this, Leadership reports.
According to the Niger Delta people, huge deposits had been made to various institutions of learning between 2013 and 2014 by the amnesty committee with various degree of agreement on the deployment of the ex-militant youths for various training programmes.
The deposits which were made on behalf of the federal government by the amnesty committee is now being threatened by the decision of the foreign institutions of learning to cancel the underwater water and marine training programmes for over 50 ex-militant youths over alleged multiple breech of agreement and non-payment of required fees.
The parents and kinsmen of the affected ex-militant youths are threatening protest over the alleged continued delay by the chairman, Brig. Gen. Paul Boro (rtd) to commence payment of such fees and stop the cancellation order for the training of their youths.
Report has it that they have started mobilising along the creeks and waterways of the region, with plans of storming the Abuja office of the Amnesty Implementation Committee.
One of the institutions, the CDA Technical Institute of the West Indies, through the founder, Capt. Ray Black, have already sent a warning letter to the amnesty coordinator, Boroh, on the decision to cancel the proposed underwater welding training to over 50 ex-militant youths after a non-refundable deposit of $473,814.00 (N100 million) due to breach of contract.
Recall that some time in July, 13 Nigerians from the Niger Delta region, undergoing commercial point training at the Lufthansa Flight Training School in Frankfurt, had been sent away for non-payment of fees. Some ex-militants studying abroad under the scholarship programme of the federal government amnesty initiative, had lamented their unpaid allowances and called on the government to address the problem.
Hundreds of angry women from the nine states of the Niger Delta region had staged a protest march on Tuesday, July 21, saying Buhari should be held responsible if there is resurgence of violence in the Niger Delta region.
Barely a week after, President Buhari approved the appointment of Boroh as the coordinator of the amnesty programme for former Niger Delta militants, which was a welcome news to the people of the Niger Delta region.
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