N5bn Palliatives: Niger Delta Ex-agitators Threaten Protest Against Governors

Aggrieved ex-agitators in the Niger Delta have threatened to disrupt the peace of the region following the failures of governors in the nine states in the region to provide palliatives to poor communities despite receiving N5 billion from the federal government.

The ex-agitators under the auspices of Coalition of Ex-agitators of Niger Delta (CEND), said governors seemed to have diverted the money released by President Bola Tinubu to alleviate the suffering caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, CEND chairman, Gershom Gbobo said whereas Tinubu was sensitive enough to make provisions for palliatives, the governors appeared unconcerned with the level of hardship in their various states, especially Bayalsa and Rivers.

Gershom stated that there was no deliberate activities and programmes by the governors targeted at providing reliefs to the people.

He said: “Does it mean that as usual, these governors have pocketed the money? We will never allow it to happen. We will compel them to bring out the money in a mother of all protests across the states.

“It will no longer be business as usual. Our people are suffering untold hardship while these governors are junketing in profligacy and living large without showing any concern to our problems.

“We expected the governor’s to have started deliberate programmes aimed at reaching the people with palliatives. 

We expected them to add reasonable amount of money to the N5 billion and float far-reaching programmes that will practically ameliorate the pains of the people.

“But they are less concerned. We can see what Borno Governor is doing for his people but our entire region is quiet”.

The CEND chairman wondered why some leaders of ex-agitators like the chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Committee on Strategic Communications, Nature Dumale and the chairman/president of all first Phase Ex-agitators in the Niger Delta region, HRH Henry Binidodogha Ekes, had remained quiet over the non-challant attitude of the governors.