Ex -militants under the aegis of Ukanafun Freedom Fighters have stormed the headquarters of Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State to protest their exclusion from the 2009 amnesty deal negotiated with the federal government.
The protesters numbering 200 barricaded the major entrance leading to the council secretariat, at Ikot Akpan Nkuk on Tuesday, chanting war songs and carrying placards bearing different inscriptions like “Akwa Ibom is part of Niger Delta and Nigeria: Give us our right”, “FG: Why have you abandoned us for 15 years, amnesty office”, “Give us our rights, amnesty office has not been fair to us in Akwa Ibom”, “We are not criminals, we are freedom fighters” and “FG: Please settle us as promised,” among others.
Speaking with journalists, leader of the ex –militants, Udom Ebetor, regretted that the federal government has failed to keep the promise it entered with them in the course of facilitating the amnesty programme in 2009.
“The promise that we will be self -reliant is not realistic. Government never kept her words when they said that we will be trained and empowered to become economically self- dependent.
“All the ex-militants from Akwa Ibom axis were seen as strangers by other militants from a certain tribe and marginalized by some officials in the amnesty office.
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“In 2009, I led other militants under the umbrella of the Supreme Council of Niger Delta States (SUCOND) to surrender arms.
“I told the federal government that over 500 of our members were still in the bush because they were not sure of the sincerity of government in the amnesty deal,” he recounted.
Ebetor lamented the marginalization of ex- militants from Akwa Ibom State by officials of the amnesty office and urged the federal government to investigate their allegation of exclusion and address their grievances.
“While others are benefitting, some of our leaders at the local and state level are busy talking, while their people are suffering. This protest serves as a call to the federal government to do the needful before the issue escalates,” he added.
However, the local government orientation and mobilization officer, while addressing the protesting ex-militants, promised to pass on their message to the appropriate quarters for redress.
