A renowned youth leader from the Niger Delta, Mr. Bobo Tonye, has advised the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to be wary of some “so-called former Niger Delta warlords and their shenanigans.”
He said there are many ex-agitators whose stock in trade is to threaten and blackmail public office holders from the region.
“Instead of making efforts to attract more appointments and developmental projects to the Niger Delta, these set of persons have over the years been fighting to dislodge any federal appointee from office who does not give in to the outrageous demands,” he said.
Bobo, in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday, stressed that this set of persons are driven by greed, hence their demands should not be pandered to.
Bobo said: “Administrators of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have always been their main targets. They believe they were the only people that worked for the establishment of that Office.
“Therefore, since they were not appointed to steer the ship of the Amnesty Office, whoever is in charge must kowtow to them and award as many lucrative contracts to them and their allies.
“This is the reason for the endless petitions against every leader that is appointed to lead the PAP. ”
Bobo, the immediate past National Chairman of the Third Phase Ex-agitators Forum, stressed that the programme came into existence following the agitations of several Niger Deltans.
“The establishment of the PAP cannot be attributed to the efforts of only one group of persons, and I hereby advise this particular set of ex-agitators to be productive with their resources so as to stop harassing every administrator of the programme for contracts.
“We all carried arms and fought for the FG to prioritize the interest of our region. It was not the efforts of just one or two leaders but a collective effort of all the freedom fighters.
“So nobody or group of leaders should erroneously think that it was only their efforts that made Yar’Adua to establish the PAP
“Due to their selfishness, lack of integrity and blackmailing lifestyle, some of these ex-agitators’ leaders have lost the respect of not just their followers but many Niger Deltans.
“They should be more enterprising like GOC Tompolo and not be sponsoring campaigns of calumny against every PAP administrator.
“Also, they should invest the monies they have garnered over the years in lucrative businesses rather than fighting those in power to get contracts they don’t deserve,” Bobo expressed.
The ex-agitator described the endless petitions and media attacks against the current Administrator of the PAP, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, as distractions that may consequently impede the success of the Amnesty Programme, if not nipped in the bud.
“This ugly trend is not good for the region and Nigeria as a whole. We must therefore come together to put an end to it,” the ex-agitator
He however declared that well-meaning PAP delegates and stakeholders are satisfied with Otuaro.
Bobo warned that “anything that will undermine or disrupt the administration will not be a good omen in the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
“The desperate group of ex-agitators who are hellbent on frustrating Otuaro should know that those who are behind him are greater and stronger than them. We are keenly watching their desperate moves.”
