Youth Leader Blasts Ex-Militants Over Monthly Stipend

The President, Imo State
Youth Council, Mr Jeff Nwoha, has called on the Federal Government to enlighten ex-militants in the Niger Delta that the monthly stipend being paid to them would not be forever.
It would be recalled that the ex-militants receive monthly stipend from the federal government under the amnesty programme.
Nwoha told our correspondent in Owerri that some of the ex-militants were not making judicious use of their stipend to be self reliant.
“Some of the ex-militants lavish the stipend they receive on drinks and other unnecessary things and wait for another round of payment at the end of the month,’’ he said.
He added that if the ex-militants were informed that their monthly stipend would terminate at the end of the amnesty programme, they would refrain from spending their money on frivolities.
The youth leader suggested that the government should pay the ex-militants half of their monthly stipend and save the other half as their terminal benefit at the end of the amnesty programme.
He warned that if the amnesty programme was terminated and the ex-militants were not paid their monthly stipend, they might return to the creek to foment trouble.
The youth president commended Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo “for his youth-friendly programmes.’’
He said that several youths from the state had benefitted from scholarship award and other empowerment programmes initiated by the governor.