Nigerian Army may recruit a number of ex-militants in the Niger Delta, who have already successfully undergone transformational training.
This indication was given Thursday in Abuja by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika, while reacting to a
request by the Presidential Amnesty Office to recruit a number of transformed Niger Delta ex-militants into the Army.
Ihejirika spoke in response to a request the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, had made during a courtesy call on the Chief of Army Staff in his Abuja Office.
Ihejirika said the request to have a number of the Niger Delta ex-combatants join the Army was not misplaced, adding that the Army could indeed tap from the vast experience of the transformed ex-militants in the area of professional diving and swimming and other amphibious activities.
The Federal Government has however declared that it was not owing allowances of any of the 26,358 Niger Delta ex-combatants enrolled in the Amnesty Programme.
A group, "Transformed Niger Delta Ex-Militant Forum", had claimed that the government was yet to pay, among others, housing allowance as well as monthly stipends of those who participated at the Transformational Training at Obubra Camp in Cross River State.
Reacting to the claims, Kuku, in a statement signed by Henry Ugbolue, Head, Media and Communication, Amnesty Office, affirmed that none of the 26, 358 Niger Delta ex-combatants enrolled in the Amnesty Programme was being owed.
The clarification came on a day, Kuku , at a pre- departure briefing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, read the riot act to another batch of 42 ex-militants that flew out of the country to South Africa for vocational training, affirming that according to the code of conduct signed on departure, government will not pay the statutory stipend to any of them that misbehaves during the programme.
www.Allafrica.com
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com