By Anietie Akpan
Ex Agitators under the Bakassi Freedom Fighters (BFF) allegedly short-changed in the Presidential Amnesty Programme(PAP) Phase Two, have threatened to lock down Abuja over the non payment of their 12 Years stipend.
This was contained in a statement made available to Pillar Today at weekend as issued at the end of the “Stakeholders meeting of Ex- Agitators under the BFF Short-changed in the Presidential Amnesty Programme(PAP) Phase Two”, held on September 16, 2024 in Bakassi Local Government Area (LGA), Cross River State.
The statement which was signed by Comrd. Asuquo Okokon and Comrd. Offiong Lawrence for themselves and on behalf of their people, said, the Ex- Agitators under the BFF have resolved to literally shut down Abuja through a peaceful protest to ensure that their demands are met.
To further press down their demand, the Ex-Agitators said, “we have resolved to call out the over 90 of our affected members and other well-wishers for a protest in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on the 1st of October, 2024, to ensure that the The Administrator, Chief Denis Otuaro resolve this issues, reinstate all our outstanding payments and backlog without further delay”.
The group said, “we accepted the Federal Government’s Amnesty offer, Disarmed and Registered for the Rehabilitation and Reintegration package of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Phase Two alongside our Ex- Leaders including “Gen” Franklyn Duduku.
“That the over 90 of our affected members are part of the authentic Ex- Agitators captured in the Presidential Amnesty Programme Data Base who went through all the stages of the programme, including camping in NYSC camp, Obubra in Cross River State and Lagos in December, 2011, where we completed the Demobilization Programme with Training on Conflict Resolution, Biometric capturing and opening of Amnesty Bank Accounts for payment of monthly stipends of N66,500 and other sundry payments.
“That, it took the Amnesty office almost three months to reconcile the list of beneficiaries across all camps, so the January, 2012 stipend of N66, 500 was paid in March, 2012 to some of us through our respective bank accounts”.
They alleged that, “further payment of our monthly stipends and skill acquisition placement were subverted and compromised by the Amnesty office through various fronts since January, 2012 till date: a situation that led to the shot down of activities at the Magaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar in October, 2013.
“We have made several efforts to have our payment restored by the various Administrators of the Programme , but all to no avail. It is now obvious that top – notches in the Amnesty office are the protagonist of the fraud against us, not withstanding the overwhelming evidence in our possession asserting the contrary”.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Ex Agitators said, “we are peace loving people and law abiding citizens and have resisted the invitation for self-help which the acts of these culprits portend for too long”.
