By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
Ex-Agitators under the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, phase 2 beneficiaries, have vowed not to be deterred by arrest of its members until the alleged “monumental fraud in the Amnesty office is exposed.”
Our correspondent gathered that the newly elected leadership of the Phase 2 beneficiaries, inaugurated barely three weeks, earlier hinted that they will not rest until there’s a “reorganization of the policies and programme to benefit the real beneficiaries and fulfill the essence of its existence.”
A statement issued on Wednesday by the publicity secretary, Passman Akpos, said “The newly elected National Chairman, PAP phase 2, Gen. John Esuku, has been arrested by the directive of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme,PAP, Maj.Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (retd).
“The leadership of the Phase 2, is barely few weeks into its tenure, we just hinted that we will ensure things are done rightly according to the dream of the initiators of the programme, would that have caused the arrest of our chairman. John Esuku was in his hotel room in Apo Abuja when the policemen arrived, well armed, ransacked the whole De-suit Hotel to arrest the national chairman
“He asked questions on why he’s been arrested and where he was been taken to but all he could get was severe beating, and respond that why is he frustrating Amnesty.
“I was also in the same hotel but i went outside to attend to other urgent issues, on reaching the entrance i was told to hide that policemen from the Amnesty office came and whisked the national chairman away.”
The statement continued, “We know where the arrest is from, because the national chairman, Phase II, John Esuku and the national Exco dragged the Amnesty Boss Maj. Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu, to the National House of Representatives on the alleged fraud committed against the ex-agitators by the Amnesty Office.
“The date of our meeting is slated for Wednesday the 14th of February 2024, all the National Executive members of phase II, so they wanted to distract our plans by arresting us. But we are not deterred. We have incriminating evidence against the leadership of the Amnesty Office, that is why there are doing everything to silence our voices in order to prevent them from going to the House of Representatives.
“Earlier, Ndiomu had arrested the national vice chairman of Phase II, Self-style Gen Julius Belemu, using tactical means, and now he has proceeded to arrest the national chairman of Phase II, all is to intimidate and silence the voice of the ex-agitators, in order to enable Ndiomu for further looting and exploitation of the Amnesty Office in the detriment of the ex-agitators whom the programme was created for.
“We therefore call on the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Ijaw leaders to as a matter of urgency, call Ndiomu to order or better still sack him before things get out of hand. While also calling on the immediate release of the national chairman John Esuku that there is no going back until the glory of the ex-agitators is rekindled ones again”
In their separate views, the Bayelsa State Chairman Phase 2, Gen. Paul Johnson, and his Delta State counterpart, Solomon Adu condemned the arrest and also called for his immediate release.
Reacting, the Special Adviser to the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Friston Akpo, said the issue of alleged fraud is something people keep saying without proof, adding that there is no fraud allegations in the office.
Akpo, stated that the interim administrator runs the office openly and every activity is in the public domain. “We are very transparent in everything, so issue of fraud doesn’t arise from anywhere”
On the arrest, he denied knowledge of the arrest, and stated that the office is so busy in ensuring all direct beneficiaries of the programme gets whatever is due them. “We are not aware of any arrest, we are not part of it and we don’t want to be part of it,” he said.
