10 September 2016, Yenagoa — A faction of ex-agitators in Bayelsa State under the Phase II Federal Government Amnesty Programme led by Ebina Salvation, yesterday, described as uncalled for, the threat by some aggrieved members to shut down all Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, offices in the region over the delay in payment of their three months stipends.
Some ex-agitators in the state led by the Stephen Ebisintei faction had recently, issued a seven-day ultimatum to shut down all branches of the nation apex bank in the region if the government failed to pay their stipend, citing an SMS, allegedly sent to beneficiaries of the programme by the Coordinator of the Amnesty programme and Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Brig Gen Paul Boroh (retd) which reads “Amnesty Office does not pay any more, it’s CBN that pays.”
But the Rufus Salvation-led faction of the Phase II Amnesty beneficiaries in a statement in Yenagoa, urged all ex-agitators not to be deceive by the purported SMS, insisting that the programme under the leadership of Gen Boroh “is doing all within its power in ensuring smooth payment and as such should not be blamed for the delay in payment.”
Describing the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme as a security programme, he pleaded with the Federal Government that adequate fund should be released to the amnesty office for effective implementation of its programmes as well as pay the outstanding three months owed beneficiaries.
*Samuel Oyadongha – Vanguard