Ex-militants picket Akeredolu’s office over unpaid entitlements

Ex-Militants, under the aegis of Forest Boys, from the Niger-Delta area of Ondo State, on Monday, picketted the office of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, protesting alleged non-payment of their amnesty entitlements.
The Ondo ex-militants submitted their guns and ammunition under the Federal Government amnesty programme on November 17, 2017.
The ex-militants held placards with inscriptions like “please give us amnesty’, ‘fulfil your amnesty promise’, and ‘we will go back to crime’ among others.
The ex-militants, who came in buses, were dancing and chanting different songs while they blocked vehicles and human entrance into the Governor’s office.
Speaking with newsmen, General Osi, the leader of the ex-militants, alleged that the State Government had collected their guns and ammunition during the previous amnesty exercise, but refused to pay their entitlements.
“We are protesting because the Ondo State Government refused to fulfil its promise after collecting our guns and ammunition.
“Let them give us our entitlements. We have done as the Federal Government instructed, but they didn’t honour any of our agreements like releasing our detained members.
“When we met with the Deputy Governor, Ajayi Agboola, he assured and promised that all our demands would be met, but till now, nothing has been done.
“What aggrieved us the most is that Agboola doesn’t pick up our calls any more. We will be here until Governor Akeredolu attends to us,” he said.
Akeredolu and Ajayi were absent as at the time of the protest.
However, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Security Matters, met with the ex-militant and appealed to them to be calm.
He assured them of government intervention on their grievances.