PEEVED by its alleged exclusion from the amnesty programme, a group, Niger Delta Development Ex-militants, has drawn the attention of the National Assembly to what it called frustration and dehumanising treatment meted out to it and its members.
In a petition to members of the National Assembly, national secretary of the group, Mr. Tam Odogwu, said the alleged exclusion of the group was worrisome, considering the fact that the erstwhile fighters duly surrendered their arms and ammunition of different categories totaling 21,000 to the Joint Task Force, State Security Service and the Police in four Niger Delta states of Delta, Edo, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom and were issued certificates as a proof to their disarmament.
He lamented that the group's peaceful efforts to make the authorities see reasons with its members' plight have failed and that the legislators' reputation for fairness, justice and equity was the reason for the petition.
He said: "We believe in the capacity of the National Assembly to critically examine our petition submitted to the House and proffer appropriate solutions with a view to assuaging the pains and grievances of the third phase members."
Odogwu said the series of peaceful protests, including the East-West Road and Lokoja/Abuja Expressway traffic blockades on September 7 and December 8, 2011, were necessary because of "our exhaustive use of peaceful and legitimate means."
The group pointed out that the protests informed the meeting between its leaders and some brass of the nation's security agencies, including the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Chief of Defence Staff on December 20, 2011.
He noted that after the crucial meeting, they were persuaded to go home and plead with their followers to give the Federal Government time to clear some grey areas after which their grievances would be properly addressed, but lamented that after several months, no concrete steps have been taken by the Federal Government.
He said: "This is the greatest injustice meted out to key stakeholders and a group of law-abiding citizens who have made sacrifices toward sustenance of peace in the Niger Delta region while the Federal Government has continued to ignore our plea for rehabilitation and reintegration having unreservedly accepted the amnesty offer."
The Guardian