Barry Tariye Ndiomu
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Barry Tariye Ndiomu Ex-agitators from first, second and third phases of the Presidential AmnestyProgramme (PAP) have called on security agencies to unmask the identities of“enemies of the Niger Delta” blackmailing PAP’s Interim Administrator, Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu.The ex-agitators recalled that they earlier raised the alarm that enemies of theregion had launched a campaign of calumny against President MuhammaduBuhari, the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Ndiomu to discredit theirachievements in PAP.The ex-agitators’ joint statement was signed on Monday by the Chairman,Presidential Amnesty Strategic Communication Committee (STRACOM), Mr.Nature Dumale and the National President, first phase Ex-agitators; HRH HenryEkes, Ovuru the 1st (aka Egbema 1).The stakeholders in the statement, which was also signed by Heads of FirstPhase Ex-Agitators, Rivers, Granville Ideye; Bayelsa, Ebite Ifiemi; SecondPhase, Sylvester Tambo and National Chairman, Third Phase, Gen. TonyeBobo, described the attack against Ndiomu as criminal and unwarranted.Dumale, who read the statement in Port Harcourt, said in their recent antics, thedetractors circulated a report claiming that the Niger Delta elders and traditionalrulers petitioned Buhari and asked for the suspension of Ndiomu over allegedcorrupt practices.He said names contained in the report were fictitious and could neither be tracedto any elder nor traditional ruler in the Niger DeltaDumale insisted that all the allegations contained in the report were as fictitious, -
false and preposterous as the faceless individuals making the claims.He said: “The only interpretation to the action of these faceless individuals andgroups is that they are desperately trying to stoke crisis in the Niger Delta.“They want the Buhari’s administration to further lose credibility by targetingthe only region that has remained peaceful despite the turbulence and separatistagitations in other parts of the country.“Using the revered traditional institutions to make false claims about one of themost illustrious sons of the Niger Delta like Ndiomu is criminal and blackmailtaking too far. This is why we are calling on security agencies to investigatethese characters, unmask their identities and arrest them”.Dumale said all ex-agitators were behind Ndiomu and his efficient managementof the amnesty programme especially after all their investigations intoallegations levelled against him gave him a clean bill of health.He said traditional rulers in the Niger Delta, elders, chiefs and otherstakeholders had also thrown their weight behind Ndiomu for sanitising PAPand sustaining the peace in the region.Dumale said: “We, again, warn that we, the owners of PAP, will not fold ourarms and allow few unscrupulous elements, whose source of corrupt enrichmentin PA, had been blocked by Ndiomu’s ongoing reforms, to continue to stokecrisis in the region.“As we strive to unmask the identities of these people and their sponsors, we arecalling on the Inspector-General of Police, the National Intelligence Agency, theDepartment of State Security and other security agencies to go after them.“The scaremongering of these agents of darkness is designed to cause riot,disrupt the mainstay of the country’s resources and disorganise the forthcomingelections in the region.“These people are crisis merchants, who only make money by instigatingviolence. They derive pleasure to see people die. They sponsor protests and cashin on violent agitation for relevance.
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“We call on members of the public to disregard these allegations. PAP hasmonthly budget of N5bn, which covers stipends for all ex-agitators, overheadcost and other expenses. How can one still steal the kind of money contained inthe allegations of these people?”
