The Federal Government of Nigeria has resumed payments of cash stipends to former militants agreed under a 2009 amnesty in the country's Niger Delta oil hub, a government official said on Thursday.

The government has been holding talks with militants to end attacks on crude pipelines which reduced Nigeria's output by 700,000 barrels a day for several months last year.

Authorities had originally cut the budget for cash payments to militants to end corruption but later resumed payments to stop pipeline attacks crippling vital oil revenues.

"Two months of the ex-militants' stipends were paid yesterday ... The rest of their stipends will be paid later in batches by (central bank) CBN," said Piriye Kiyaramo, an officer in the government's Amnesty Office.

He said the paid stipends covered August and September.

Each former militant is entitled under the amnesty to 65,000 naira ($206.68) monthly plus job training.

Eric Omare, spokesman for the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), which represents the Delta's biggest ethnic group, said former militants had complained to the region's top negotiator handling talks with the government about payment delays.

President Muhammadu Buhari met Niger Delta leaders and representatives for the militants in November to discuss their demands but little progress has emerged publicly since then.

The militants and residents who sympathise with them say they want a greater share of Nigeria's oil wealth to go to the impoverished region.

Crude sales make up about 70 percent of government revenue and the attacks have deepened an economic crisis brought on by low global oil prices.

Nigeria currently produces "close to" 1.8 million barrels a day of crude, its oil minister said last month, the latest official figure. Output had been 2.2 million bpd at the start of 2016 when a wave of pipeline attacks began.
http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/fg-resumes-payments-to-former-niger-delta-militants/179279.html

All these payments by FG is mere eye-service and a means of diversion by the FG.
FG just gave out crude oil contracts, how many of those are from the ND.

Ok

Good News that is if it's true

Stupid country

Can't the money be used to build power plants for the Niger Delta

Can't the money be used to build refineries and employ Niger Deltans as members of staff

A country where billions are payed to criminals.
Criminals are being payed higher than the police.

What about those Niger Deltans that have been law abiding

When the law abiding ones decide to do what others did to get money, I hope there would be enough money to go around.

How can a country be rewarding criminals for crimes

No reward for law abiding citizens.

What message is she passing, crime pays

My major objective this year is to leave Africa.

I need to go to a country that values law abiding citizens like me.

Look at the comments below and above me then you'll get one of the reasons I hate Africa... Sharing the same national space with dimwits.

Federal Government is a scam
APC is a scam
buhari is paynge

Lol Naija, paying militants to "behave" themselves. I just dey envy the militants, you'll just relax for house with your ogogoro and alert go dey enter every month . These guys should have been offered automatic employment into the Nigeria army, and sent to pursue boko haram.

CRIME PAYS!

Ok

......finally!








This Zombie is a coward going back to his vomit

This is not true at all.
How can Gen. Muhamadu Buhari (ret.) pay militants?
When he can simply kill all of them as he did to Boko Haram terrorists?
Was that not what the zombies told us?
APC and lies be like 5 and 6!!!

After his initial gra gra, shebi he has eaten the humble pie. If the dullard had buried his ego since and paid these guys as agreed, we wouldnt have been in this recession ffs. Useless m0ron

DozieInc:
All these payments by FG is mere eye-service and a means of diversion by the FG.
FG just gave out crude oil contracts, how many of those are from the ND.

Oga the FG did not just "give out" crude oil lifting contracts, there were open bids- unlike what used to obtain in the past. The question is how many ND people placed genuine bids? We can't just hand out contracts to people that won't deliver anything and run away with the money and crude.
And its a big lie that ND people didn't benefit from the contracts. Tonye cole's Sahara energy won their bid, among many other ND people. Stop spreading lies.

Give to. To Cesar what belongs to him.

Wise move by the presidency.

Its a case of call a mad man brother, just to allow him leave the way for you to go.

It solves the problems for PMB throughout his regime, but future administrations will still face same challenge. This' not the way out in the long term

DozieInc:
All these payments by FG is mere eye-service and a means of diversion by the FG.
FG just gave out crude oil contracts, how many of those are from the ND.

Which Company for Niger Delta Tender submission pls tell us since you want this to be Federal Charecter

For how long will this payment continue. This is not sustainable. Rewarding criminals with monthly stipend.

I DIDN'T READ THE POST..
I HAVE NOTHING TO COMMENT..
I AM JUST BOOKING SPACE HERE..

A moment of silence for people who were born on 29th Feb...coz this year has nothing like 29th Feb.

Very nice if true, hope the bombings will stop now


Those politicians that benefit from the bombings won't love this

Being a militant can be sweet. Get paid without work. We ipod youth won't like this.....

seguno2:
This is not true at all.
How can Gen. Muhamadu Buhari (ret.) pay militants?
When he can simply kill all of them as he did to Boko Haram terrorists?
Was that not what the zombies told us?
APC and lies be like 5 and 6!!!

Some people need brain upgrade.

DozieInc:
All these payments by FG is mere eye-service and a means of diversion by the FG.
FG just gave out crude oil contracts, how many of those are from the ND.

How many Niger Delta business men apply, and how many of them have the capital outlay for such a venture. Oil blocks are not given out like loaves of bread or like allowances to placate little criminals who are bent on holding the economy to a ransom. It seems Niger Deltans prefer to receive allowances rather than oil blocks.

Npower graduates : 30k Monthly
Primary 5B Militants : 65k Monthly
...B.SC certificates useless...
who says criminality doesn't pay in Nigeria ?

Just employ them... Dassal... They will protect ur waterways and also be responsible adults in one way or the other. But when Jonathan was doing it, y'all wanted to eat him raw.... Now, their godfather has realised his errors... Now, nobody can cough.

What will happen to law abiding youths from the region who refused to become militants?