Aggrieved ex-militants in Ondo State on Thursday protested that the Amnesty Program initiated by the state government was fake and completely motivated to score cheap political gains.
Aggrieved ex-militants in Ondo State on Thursday protested that the Amnesty Program initiated by the state government was fake and completely motivated to score cheap political gains.
The protesting ex-militants who are under the aegis of the United Sea Wolf Avengers from the Niger Delta regions argued that they were being cheated by the state government.
They also confessed that the state government deceived them into laying down their arms and ammunition.
The protestors shut down all the entrances to the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) office in Oba Ile Area of Akure and barred all the staff from entry.
Sahara Reporters reported that the ex-militants numbering about fifty made bonfires and locked the gates to the OSOSPADEC office as they chanted solidarity songs.
The ex-militants accused the Ondo State Deputy Governor who doubles as the Chairman of State Amnesty Program, Agboola Ajayi of nepotism as they chanted anti-government songs.
They explained that the military was supposed to determine those that deserved the Amnesty Program, not the politicians in the state who are allocating the slots to their families.
Deji Williams Ehinmowo, Leader of the United Sea Wolf Avengers who addressed journalists during the protest said that the Amnesty Program was a complete fraud done by the state government to score cheap political gains.
Ehinmowo noted that many of the ex-militants are now regretting their actions for laying down their arms and ammunition during the Amnesty Program, which was carried out in hurry to attract unnecessary public attention.
He stated that those incorporated into the Amnesty Program should be accepted completely into the program, and not by an allocation of slots.
According to Ehinmowo, the politicians in the state have hijacked the Amnesty Program by allocating the slots to their friends and cronies.
“Right now, many of us are regretting the action of laying down our arms and ammunition because we could see a complete deceit and fraud in the Amnesty Program."
“So, we are no longer interested in dealing with the Ondo state Amnesty Committee Program having losing confidence as the politicians in the state have hijacked al the slots.”
“I think Governor Rotimi Akeredolu didn’t know that the slots were being manipulated by the Amnesty Committee and that is the more reasons we want to see him.”
He alleged the Chairman of the OSOPADEC, Mr. Gbenga Edema of not being sensitive to their plight adding that the people of the coastal areas of the state were not benefiting from his commission.
“Meanwhile, this OSOPADEC Office would be turned into camp 10 and we are not ready to leave here until the state and federal government attends to our needs,” he declared.
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