Members of Niger Delta ISAC Israel Trained Agricultural Group of Nigeria (NDITAGON) have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to direct the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to fulfill its promise to empower them financially after their one-year training in Israel or be ready to face their wrath.
President of the group,
Azubuike Chiemeka Emmanuel, who issued the threat on behalf of 98 members of
NDITAGON in Abuja, regretted that they had been sleeping on the streets
of Abuja for more than two weeks now due to the failure of the Minister of
State for Niger Delta Affairs, Darius Ishaku to attend to them.
The group warned that
since their appeals to President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Assembly and
other well-meaning Nigerians had failed to produce any result, it would resort
to both legal and non-legal actions, including returning to the creeks to seek
redress. The ex-militants said the
ministry gave them $300 each for a training in advanced agriculture in
Israel on May 24, 2013 and promised to financially empower them after
their programme.
They, however, said since
their return, several attempts they made to get the ministry to fulfill its
promise failed to yield any result.
“On the eve of our
departure to Israel, the Honourable Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs,
Abuja, Arch. Darius Ishaku openly told us that on arrival from Israel, we would
be empowered for immediate establishment of our farm(s) while the Israel
partners would arrive as well to provide more technical assistance in our
different farms.
“This was supported by
the Permanent Secretary, Directors, and even the staff that were present, as
they said we should count urns elves lucky that we are all made are we return
from Israel. It is empowerment for life and a millions naira projects for each
of us,” he explained.
Speaking further, he
said: “On return to Nigeria in June 21, 2014, nobody from the ministry came to
receive us at the airport. We lost our cloths, olive oil, money and luggage by
Ethiopia airline. The ministry however paid for our accommodations for three
days and received us at the ministry.
“However, behind closed
doors, the Minister told us that federal government has not released funds to
the ministry to pay us. Since then, we have been running up and down appealing
to everyone to intervene on our matter without getting any result.
“We have exercised enough
patience including sleeping on the road in Abuja and we cannot no longer
continue like this. We don’t want them to push us to the wall again because we
can still return to the cricks. Since our demonstration has not yielded any
concrete result, we want to give them seven days ultimatum to attend to us or
be ready for legal action.
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