Ex-militants in Ondo have pleaded to be included in a pipeline and waterway surveillance contract awarded to former militants by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

The ex-militants, formerly under the aegis of Sea Wolf Avengers, appealed in a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by their leader, Deji Ehinmowo.

Mr Ehinmowo expressed displeasure with the exclusion of the group in the surveillance contract, claiming that the former militants worked for the re-election of Mr Akeredolu as part of their commitment to ensuring the sustenance of the amnesty programme in the state.

He explained, “We worked for the re-election of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and we believe we should benefit from the amnesty programme, and the government is supposed to use the surveillance contract to take care of us.

“It is our turn to be empowered with surveillance job. If the state government wants to give it to Ilaje, it should be between the old and new amnesty groups. We learnt that N300,000 would be given to each camp which would be about N30,000 per slot out of N28 million surveillance contract.”

According to him, in 2017, when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was the acting president, he came to Igbokoda, where the youths told him that “our major problem is amnesty and surveillance.”

He added, “We told the vice president that we need amnesty and surveillance contract, and he directed Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to immediately address the issue.

“After the governor met with the federal government, he advised all the militants to surrender their arms, and a meeting was held at the International Culture and Event Centre (The Dome) in Akure on November 9, 2017, where amnesty programme for ex-militants was flagged-off.”

After the programme, Mr Ehinmowowe said the government gave them 21 days to “surrender our arms with a promise that we would be paid stipends as well as expose us to training on skill acquisition programmes.”

“At the event, there was also a promise that some of us would be sent abroad to acquire more skills,” he added.

Mr Ehinmowo accused the government of failing to fulfil its “own side of the agreement.”

“Some militants were disarmed in Edo, and they are getting paid. Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike offered amnesty to some militants, and they are being paid,” the ex-militant added. “Why are they not paying us in Ondo? Do they want us to go back to our vomits?

“When we talk about amnesty in Ondo, we in the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, we don’t depend on the state allocation,” stated the ex-militant.

He further disclosed, “What we depend on is the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). To our greatest surprise, the government is doing empowerment through OSOPADEC for the youths of the region, that is, pipeline security surveillance, but excluded us.

“In Ilaje and Ese Odo local government areas, we have the old amnesty when militants surrendered arms during the tenure of the former President Musa Yar’Adua, which was the first phase of the amnesty.

“We also have a new amnesty. This group, under the aegis of Sea Wolf Avengers under my leadership as the most senior general, surrendered arms in the 2017 amnesty programme. We are the major camp in the new amnesty programme that submitted arms and ammunition in 2017 in Ilaje.”