Niger Delta ex-Agitators Forum have pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore some groups determined on tarnishing the image of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd) on the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme.
The ex-agitators made the appeal on Thursday in an open letter to the president signed by the forum’s spokesman, Sam Jaja, and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The group was reacting to allegation of financial infractions leveled against Monguno by what it termed two faceless groups – Concerned Niger Delta for Sustainable Development and the Niger Deltans for Accountability and Good Governance over funds for amnesty programme.
“They are desperate individuals sponsored by dubious politicians and fraudulent contractors who are bent on dragging the name of the National Security Adviser into imaginary allegations of fraud in order to rub mud on the image of your administration.
“For instance, since the suspension of the Coordinator Prof. Charles Dokubo from office, he has always submitted himself to answer any question and has never intervened in the work of the investigative committee.
“We are hopeful that those who did not commit any crime will not be indicted but will be cleared in line with the laws of the land.
“In addition, the looting of the Amnesty storage facility in Kaiama has been exhaustively investigated by the security agencies and the report did not in any way indict neither the National Security Adviser nor the Amnesty Coordinator.
“Yet these faceless groups continue to try in futility to drag their names into it in other to discredit them.
“It is within the rights of every qualified Niger Deltan to aspire to be appointed as the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. However, we take strong objection to their style of attempting to discredit the NSA, Gen. Monguno.”
The ex-agitators regretted the call by the groups for the intervention of the International Community, noting that it was an embarrassing development which must be investigated.
The forum declared it support for the Federal Government, noting that the threats by the groups to go back to the creeks do not have the backing of the militant leaders and as such would be resisted.
The ex-agitators also thanked the president for sustaining the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme, stressing that the dividends to the nation were obvious.
“We assure President Buhari and his appointees – the National Security Adviser and the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme of our full support.
“It is worthy to note that in the last two years, there has been no disruption of oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta region. The uninterrupted flow of oil has guaranteed the necessary revenue to fund our national economy,” he said. (NAN)
