Nigeria - Ex-Niger Delta Militants Sue President Jonathan Over N 63 Billion Unpaid Amnesty Wages
https://nigeriaafrica1.blogspot.com/2012/12/nigeria-ex-niger-delta-militants-sue.html
Some ex-militants who claim to be part of there extended second phase and third phase of the amnesty project after surrendering their weapons on Friday recently sued President Goodluck Jonathan to a Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to reports, this was because the ex militants were seeking to stop the expansion and or inclusion of victims of oil pollution as beneficiaries of the N63.281 billion the National Assembly for the demobilization approved and training of 3,642 ex militants granted amnesty by the Federal Government in the second phase and third phase of the programme, is generating rumbles within the ex-militants’ camps in the Niger Delta region.
They further argued that it is not the responsibility of the Amnesty office to cater for oil pollution victims, a responsibility they insist, belongs to the multinational oil companies engaged in oil exploration in the region.
The former militants led by Friday Burutu, were miffed that their names were conspicuously missing from the list of the 3,642 ex militants for whom the National Assembly had approved the sum of N63.281 billion after they had surrendered their arms and ammunitions to the federal government.
They accused the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of Niger Delta Amnesty Committee. Kingsley Kuku of claiming that slots in the affected phases of the amnesty programme are, inter alia, compensation to oil pollution victims whilst they, the main ex militants who physically submitted arms and ammunitions were left out.
The aggrieved former arms bearers specifically contended that the amnesty proclamation of the federal government made pursuant to section 175 of the nation’s constitution on the 25th of June, 2009 was exclusively made for militants and not oil pollution victims and friends of the Kingsley Kuku, the presidential adviser or those of the President.
Section 175 of the constitution empowers the President to grant any person concerned with or convicted of offence created by an Act of the National Assembly a pardon.
While urging the court to restrain the President and his adviser from the planned expansion of amnesty beneficiaries, the ex militants pleaded with the court not to delay as they are reliably informed that any moment from now, purported ex militants which include oil pollution victims will be drafted to Obubara training camps to the detriment of the real ex militants who submitted arms and ammunition.
They further argued that it is not the responsibility of the Amnesty office to cater for oil pollution victims, a responsibility they insist, belongs to the multinational oil companies engaged in oil exploration in the region.
The former militants led by Friday Burutu, were miffed that their names were conspicuously missing from the list of the 3,642 ex militants for whom the National Assembly had approved the sum of N63.281 billion after they had surrendered their arms and ammunitions to the federal government.
They accused the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of Niger Delta Amnesty Committee. Kingsley Kuku of claiming that slots in the affected phases of the amnesty programme are, inter alia, compensation to oil pollution victims whilst they, the main ex militants who physically submitted arms and ammunitions were left out.
The aggrieved former arms bearers specifically contended that the amnesty proclamation of the federal government made pursuant to section 175 of the nation’s constitution on the 25th of June, 2009 was exclusively made for militants and not oil pollution victims and friends of the Kingsley Kuku, the presidential adviser or those of the President.
Section 175 of the constitution empowers the President to grant any person concerned with or convicted of offence created by an Act of the National Assembly a pardon.
While urging the court to restrain the President and his adviser from the planned expansion of amnesty beneficiaries, the ex militants pleaded with the court not to delay as they are reliably informed that any moment from now, purported ex militants which include oil pollution victims will be drafted to Obubara training camps to the detriment of the real ex militants who submitted arms and ammunition.
