Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
Ex-agitators under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), have appealed to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) to ignore the allegations of one Kingsley Muturu against PAP’s Interim Administrator, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd).
Muturu, who claimed to be the leader of Phase 2, Delta State chapter of the Amnesty Programme, accused Dikio of preferential treatment in the allocation of stakeholders’ benefits and vowed to stage a protest in Abuja.
But the ex-agitators under the aegis of the Forum of Delta Ex-agitators, said in a statement signed in Warri on Tuesday, that Muturu was pursuing a personal agenda and had resorted to cheap blackmail.
They explained that Muturu was angry because the amnesty office only accepted 25 out of the over 300 names he presented for scholarships.
They said the amnesty office carried out a discreet investigation on all the lists from various leaders presented to them and discovered that most of the names from Muturu were either fictitious or people who did not write the examinations of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB).
In the statement signed by ‘General’ Lucky Omogba, the ex-agitators said Muturu admitted wrongdoings and wondered why he turned around to plan what they described as an unnecessary protest.
The statement said: “We want to distance ourselves from the planned protest of one Kingsley Muturu, the so-called leader of phase 2 of the Delta State chapter of the amnesty programme. We are aware that he is doing so for his own personal interest and not our interests.
“Muturu was caught in his own usual game. Out of more than 300 names he presented for a scholarship to the amnesty office, only 25 was accepted because the rest were not genuine names.
“Most of them did not write JAMB and did not have an admission from any university. The amnesty office told him that in our presence after they finished their investigation and he admitted it.
“So, we are surprised that he could turn around to accuse Dikio of preferential treatment, highhandedness and all that nonsense. We condemn his approach because it is purely cheap blackmail.”
The group noted that contrary to Muturu’s claims, ex-agitators in Delta state had benefitted more under the Dikio regime, citing the first economic summit, which was held in Warri last year, Dikio’s constant visit to the state to meet with them and his various empowerment training programmes.
The ex-warlords also urged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, to be careful of characters like Muturu, noting that his ambition to contest the state House of Assembly might not be in the interest of the people.