Adviser Maj. Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno (rtd.) and his friend Amb.
A. A. Lawal, Chairman of the Interim Niger Delta Amnesty Committee which
was established by the NSA in February 2020.
The stakeholders and ex-agitators represented by Chief Albert Douzigha
in a press statement stated that the Chairman of the Interim Amnesty
Committee Amb. A. A. Lawal and members of the committee are allegedly
demanding for 15 – 20 percent bribes and kickbacks from Amnesty
contractors awaiting payments, prior to approving their payments.
He said the information was provided in confidence by close associate of
the committee’s chairman Amb. A. A. Lawal. Chief Douzigha stated that
the associate revealed to him that Gen. Monguno and the Amnesty Chairman
are furious because things are not going as planned.
“They are not making money for themselves by only paying tuition fees
and the statutory monthly stipends to 30,000 ex-agitators.
“They are worried that the President’s new Chief of Staff Prof. Ibrahim
Gambari might not be corporative, and without notice, he might recommend
the disbandment of the committee to the President. Therefore, they have
developed an urgent plan to start paying loyal Amnesty contractors that
are willing to relinquish 15 – 20 percent of their payment amounts as
kickbacks.
“This will enable Gen. Monguno and members of the Interim Amnesty
Committee generate funds for themselves prior to the disbandment of the
committee. Chief Douzigha was informed by the associate that the
Committee is willing to pay over N10billion to cooperating contractors
to enable members of the committee generate between N1.5billion to
N2billion for themselves prior to the disbandment of the committee.
Chief Douzigha congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his fifth
year in office and urged the President to urgently appoint a substantive
Amnesty Coordinator that will outline various vocational skills training
and empowerment programs aimed at alleviating the sufferings of
ex-agitators and their families across the Niger Delta region in the
midst of a recession.
He called on the President to personally appoint the next Amnesty
Coordinator to avoid issues of loyalty and conflicts of interest because
the NSA Gen. Monguno has previously nominated two of his friends, Brig.
Gen. Paul Boroh and Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo. These individuals
failed the people of the Niger Delta region and they allegedly looted
Billions of Naira in Amnesty funds. They are presently facing fraud and
corruption investigations by the authorities.
Chief Douzigha advised the President that previous National Security
Advisers such as Gen. Aliyu Gusau, Gen. Owoye Andrew Azazi, and Col.
Sambo Dasuki all supported the Amnesty Programme. These highly respected
individuals used their position as NSA, and their funds to vigorously
support the Amnesty Programme, however since 2015 when Gen. Monguno
because the NSA to oversee the Amnesty Programme, the entire Programme
has been embroiled with one fraud and corruption allegation to another,
and with two of Gen. Monguno’s friends whom he nominated as Amnesty
Coordinators both facing fraud and corruption investigations by the
authorities within a short period, it’s definitely not a coincidence the
statement reads.
Presently, Gen. Monguno and his Amnesty committee, composed of only Gen.
Monguno’s friends with no person from the entire Niger Delta region are
signing Billions of Naira in Niger Delta Amnesty funds outside their
mandate and against the will of the people.
The committee’s mandate allegedly expired in April 2020. Gen. Monguno
and Amb. A. A. Lawal are allegedly lobbying other investigating agencies
to recommend the termination of the Amnesty Programme to the President
in order to Cover-Up his tracks, knowing fully well that it is the
Amnesty Programme that has sustained the peace in the Niger Delta region
for increased oil and gas production, and Nigeria continues to earn
Billions of Dollars from oil and gas sales to finance its obligation and
pay its debts given the looming recession, Chief Douzigha stated.
Nigerians would vividly recall that both former Amnesty Coordinators,
Gen. Boroh who is presently facing trial for fraud and money laundering
and Prof. Dokubo who was suspended by President Buhari for fraud, money
laundering and corruption allegations complained to Niger Delta
stakeholders and ex-agitators that Gen. Monguno’s frequent demands for
payments and kick-backs through his associates paralyzed the Amnesty
Programme. Prof. Dokubo claim to have given Gen. Monguno N1.8billion
fully paid Amnesty contracts to appease him, the statement reads.
Chief Douzigha advised President Buhari not to be deceived by the sweet
words of his National Security Adviser Gen. Monguno and that the
President should personally appoint a substantive Amnesty Coordinator
that will be loyal to him from the Niger Delta region.
He said the people in the region are shouldering the President’s war on
corruption without fear or favour. No individual or group’s corrupt and
evil agenda against the suffering people in the Niger Delta region will
henceforth be allowed to foster. One may die, two may die, but these
corrupt individuals in high places cannot kill every well-meaning sons
and daughters from the Niger Delta region.