A COALITION of former Niger-Delta agitators, Niger Delta Concerned Ex-Agitators, NDCE, has unanimously passed a vote of confidence on Paul Boroh, a retired brigadier general and chairman of the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme.

The group in a statement made available to journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, said this had become important in order to counter the call made by some certain faceless group who parade themselves as Niger Delta ex-agitators for the dismissal of Boroh.

Perewari Johnson, the NDCE’s spokesman, condemned in its totality, the attitude of the group of persons who do not want to see anything good in the current administration because Boroh had allegedly refused to do their selfish biddings.

Johnson reiterated that anybody or group of persons calling for the removal of Boroh is an enemy of progress. “No other person at Boroh’s level has shown such commitment in developing the Human capacity of the region. This can be evident in the series of business trainings, business development especially in the area of agriculture, and empowerment programs going on in the region,” he said.

On payment of monthly stipends, the NDCE commended the chairman for his role in ensuring that all outstanding stipends were paid, adding that “those ignorant groups who are saying the Chairman is delaying the payment of their stipends do not understand that the Amnesty Office does not run on its own, i.e. it has to depend on the Federal Government for adequate provision and we all know that the country is in recession.

“It shows the level of their irresponsibility, one will like to ask how they have spent the three months stipends just paid to them. And not long after they are calling for the head of the Chairman because more money has not been paid. Do they want him to go and steal or pay them from his pocket,” Perewari said.

Johnson stated that only in the month of June, more than two thousand former agitators from the region had commenced training in farming technology at the College of Agriculture at Iguoriakhi in Edo State and more than two hundred had been enrolled for an all inclusive sports programme which would keep youths gainfully engaged. And according to him, more than 1,000 youths are currently undergoing various skill acquisitions training programme in Bayelsa State. “Just recently a number of Niger Delta youths have graduated from foreign universities in Russia and Belarus,” he said.

The group scribe who commended President Muhammade Buhari for increasing the Presidential Amnesty programme budget by N35Billion, hailed acting President Yemi Osinbajo for signing the 2017 budget and noted that a lot more would be expected as soon as funds are made available.

The NDCE urged well meaning stakeholders and citizens not to allow people with selfish interest to use them against their fellow Niger-Delta son who is doing so well.

—  Jul 5, 2017 @ 12:25 GMT