Ex-Militants and agitators under the aegis of the Niger Delta coastline Vanguards (NDCV), in Ondo state, weekend cried out over their neglect by the Federal government since they disarmed in 2017.
They, during a walk, in support of Democracy in Nigeria and the Emancipation of the Niger Delta Region from Neglect” in llaje area of Ondo state, lamented the government’s action since November 2017 till date.
Other agitators that joined in the walk came from Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Lagos states.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the leader of the group, Chief Job Omotuwa and Olarotimi Omomuwasan said, ” since we surrendered our arms and ammunition through the Amnesty Programme, the government had reneged on the agreement reached.
They said that “The devasting condition of the region as a result of oil exploration and exploitation is grossly incalculable to the degree that the traditional means of survival, such as fishing, farming and other means of survival have gone into extinction without government’s intervention for alternative means of survival by the people in the region”.
“It would be recalled that we fought against the government and oil companies operating in our territory some years back to do the needful by ameliorating our condition.
“However, our actions and acts did not only cause huge losses to the government but to the oil companies and some other corporate bodies.
” As a result of these huge damages, the Federal Government sought our understanding by calling several meetings through the Ondo State Government in November 2017 that we should take the path of peace in other for the government to look critically into our yearnings and agitations”.
“Without any further delay, we agreed to the terms and conditions of the government by dropping our arms and ammunitions for grant of amnesty on the part of the Government by a way of a skill acquisition programme, free education and other means of empowerment.
” Surprisedly, Government is yet to fulfil her part with the terms agreed upon since 2017 we had been disarmed”.
“Government is a continuum and another opportunity to usher in another set of leaders to pilot the affairs of the country is far approaching.
” We have decided not to take a back seat but a front seat by causing our presence to be felt so that our agitations or yearnings against neglect would be timeously attended to”.
They said ” we are basically agitating that the hens that lay the golden eggs should be given what is due for it.
