Former Niger Delta militants under Bakassi Freedom Fighters (BFF)and beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) from Cross River State have vowed to participate in the planned October 1 protest in Abuja over the blacklisting of 260 beneficiaries from their camp.
They said they will only withdraw their participation in the much anticipated protest on the ground that beneficiaries of the programme who were genuinely captured by the Federal Government in the Phase 2 of the amnesty during the regime of Chief Kingsley Kuku were reinstated by the current leadership.
The group in a statement signed by Asuquo Okokon and Otutu Elias Eneyekenemi on Friday, Bakassi Freedom Fighters (BFF) called on the Administrator of Presidential Amnesty Programme, Chief Dennis Otuaro Ph.D to reinstate beneficiaries from the camp whose salaries had been withheld since he assumed office.
They urged Chief Otuaro to check the PAP records for their documentation and reinstate them in the interest of peace and unity in the Niger Delta region, adding that any attempt to delist them from the programme illegally is not only unjust, but highly inhuman to the people of Cross River.
BFF further called on the governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu and the Senate committee chairman on NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr. to intervene on the issue.
According to it, “However, we are compelled to set the records straight since it is directed to the Press Released arising from the meeting held at Bakassi Local Government Area, Cross River State (where the camp is BASED) on the 16th September, 2024 by affected delegates from BFF camp under second phase of PAP.
“It is important to note that we do not seek to be dabbled into the Leadership equation as canvassed by this group of corrupt leaders; reasons are not farfetched! First and foremost, we want to state emphatically that we are members of Bakassi Freedom Fighters Camp who participated in all the processes of the PAP and integrated into the programme under the SECOND PHASE and not FIRST PHASE as misinformed by this group of corrupt leaders. Please refer to list of 264 ex- militants as submitted for documentation by leadership of the camp.
“We went through documentation process and started receiving our monthly allowances which was later subverted by this same group of corrupt elements in the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
“It is also important to note that the situation had led to so many protests both is Bakassi, Calabar and FCT- Abuja. It is in the event of this happenings that the aggrieved members of BFF were invited for a meeting on the 23rd October, 2013 by the former SA to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, with whom we had far reaching agreements and it is pertinent to also point out that the Pseudo named Jephter William as projected by this group was never in that meeting neither in any other meetings thereafter.
“This is a verifiable fact. If not for corrupt intention why would this people claim ownership of these slots perhaps monies that are meant to be paid to genuine beneficiaries of PAP directly to individual bank accounts? We are concern about these irregularities in the programme and challenge Jephter William to come out openly and defend himself.
“While calling on NSA, EFCC, ICPC and other relevant agencies to beam its search light into the corrupt practices involving payment of monthly stipends to delegates under Bakassi Freedom Fighters camp in the phase II of the PAP. We are also worried that it is on the account of this perceived injustice that the Federal Government of Nigeria spent so much on the PAP, but it is rather unfortunate that these corrupt groups of people are the oppressors of other legitimate beneficiaries of PAP in the Niger Delta Region.
“In affirmative, we want to state clearly that we are members of Bakassi Freedom Fighters (BFF) camp genuinely captured alongside other delegates in the SECOND Phase at Obubra Cross River State and later Akodo, Lagos State and LEGITIMATELY entitled to all benefits of the PAP including monthly stipends of N65, 500.00. The Amnesty office has these records.
“It is quite sympathetic that the Bakassi people who have sacrificed and lost so much including their Ancestral Homeland are still subjected to this form of inhuman treatment by the Presidential Amnesty Office.
“Finally, we therefore appeal to the Administrator of PAP, Chief Dr. Dennis Otuaro PhD, to carried out verification in BFF camp in view of restoring monthly payment and all Rights accrued to all genuinely affected delegates, while calling on the “Sweetest” Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, the Senate Committee Chairman on NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr. (Standard), Cross River State Representative in the Board of NDDC, Rt. Hon. Orok Otu Duke (Otuekong) to intervene in this matter.”
