By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—Victims of the Nigeria/Biafra civil war, yesterday, said the Federal Government had yet to pay them, more than two months after it agreed to release N88 billion for their compensation.

The government had in an agreement it entered before the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, on October 30, 2017, said part of the fund would be used for the completion of demining and destruction of abandoned explosives within the South-East, South-South and North Central regions of the country.

Specifically, the Federal Government had in the terms of agreement before the regional court, stressed that while N50billion compensation would be paid to “true victims” of the civil war that occurred between 1967 and 1970. It also said N38 billion would be paid to contractors for total and complete demining and destruction of abandoned bombs and landmines within the regions.

The decision followed a suit marked ECW/CCJ/APP/06/12, which was filed before the ECOWAS Court on May 2, 2012, by one Vincent Agu and 19 others against the Federal Government and five others.

A statement the group sent to our correspondent through their leaders, Egobudike  Monday  Ogbowu and Ndu Pedro, read: “On behalf of BIAFRA Civil War soldiers from Rivers state who were granted pardon and were promised to be paid off by the President Mohammadu Buhari-led government to permanently end the case in ECOWAS Court, we want to state that we have not heard or received anything.

“Federal Government had as part of the terms of agreement, promised to effect the payment through Chukwukadibia & Co and Deminers Concept  Nigeria Ltd, but up till now we have not gotten gotten anything and it is making us to wonder if the Federal Government and Chukwukadibia & Co and Deminers Concept Nigeria Ltd are playing politics with it?

“If they are not playing politics with us, we urge the Federal Government to come out open and tell us the situation of things and the reason behind the delay in the payment.”

The government opted for an out-of-court- settlement of the matter after four years negotiation period.

According to the agreement document which the ECOWAS court adopted as its consent judgment, two firms, RSB Holdings Nigeria Limited and Deminers Concept Nigeria Limited, were said to have been contracted in 2009 to carry out demining exercise in the war affected areas.

The government told the court that after an exercise that was conducted by medical experts that were employed by the two contractors to screen and identify true victims of the war, “All the parties to this suit acknowledge that 685 persons were selected and classified as survivors while 493 of them were confirmed as victims of either landmines or other dangerous military ordnance including locally fabricated weapons, hence entitled to compesation including their families and communities.”

“Whereas the parties also acknowledged that a total of over 17, 000 bombs were recovered and destroyed by the 4th and 5th Respondents (the contractors), while a total of 1, 317 are still in the stockpile located at the Mine Action Center, Owerri, Imo State, large quantity of live bombs still litter the Applicant’s communities”.

States listed to benefit from the deal were Anambra, Imo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Ebonyi, Cross River, Abia, Enugu and Benue.

However, over two months after the terms of settlement was entered by the ECOWAS court, a group of Biafra war veterans from Rivers State, told Vanguard  yesterday that they had not heard nor received anything from the government.

The government had before the ECOWAS Court, said it would pay the compensation  within 45 days  from the day the consent judgment was entered in the matter.

Meantime, effort to get reaction of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, proved abortive as calls placed to his telephone line were not answered as at press time.

The plaintiffs had in the suit they filed for themselves and as representatives of victims of the Nigerian civil war, including all the 493 victims pre-enumerated by the Ministry of Defence, demanded N100m as compensatory and general damages.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/01/n88bn-compensation-fg-yet-pay-us-biafra-war-victims/

It was all publicity stunt, they did same thing to Ogoni people, promising to clean the environment.

They should be paid. It will help heal the wounds of the bitter war.

They govt is busy trying to impress the people allover in order to secure a second term. This exqlains the huge promises of juicy projects, arrears payment, more N-power.
Even though the govt is borrowing they are willing to use it for unsustainable projects.

I thought Gej paid them all

Don't worry the rejected stone that become the corner stone will pay

Hod bless Muhammadu Buhari

Desyner:
They govt is busy trying to impress the people allover in order to secure a second term. This exqlains the huge promises of juicy projects, arrears payment, more N-power. Even though the govt is borrowing she is willing to use for unsustainable projects.

Impressed who

With or without the 2 core PDP region Pmb will win

Read my lips very well I mean South south and south east

What was there contributions to pmb emergence ?

That's why I laugh in my language when they come online boasting they will ouster him in 2019

APC-led federal government, under Buhari, has no respect for rule of law. They will renege on any promise faster than they made it. People should just keep their eyes on the ball, which is sending the divisive, visionless tyrant back to wherever he came from come 2019.

A wise person will not allow one stick pierce his eye twice.

Another 4 years for Buharis will be like 40 years of severe torture for Nigerians. We don't want that.

AngryNaijaMan:
It was all publicity stunt, they did same thing to Ogoni people, promising to clean the environment.

With or without support from that axis pmb will win squarely

inkon:
APC-led federal government, under Buhari, has no respect for rule of law. They will renege on any promise faster than they made it. People should just keep their eyes on the ball, which is sending the divisive, visionless tyrant back to wherever he came from come 2019.

A wise person will not allow one stick pierce his eye twice.

Another 4 years for Buharis will be like 40 years of severe torture for Nigerians. We don't want that.

What is rule of law ?

Na whao

When Igbos were hating on all of us do you remember rule of law ?

Hypocrisy

Please pay them.


Aisha wears 500million Naira wrist watches.
Sell some, and pay these hungry people.

TarOrfeek:
Please pay them.


Aisha wears 500million Naira wrist watches.
Sell some, and pay these hungry people.

These people dont know Buhari yet ..Buhari pay Igbos 88 billion naira

The FG should respect court orders. That's the rule of law.

sarrki:


What is rule of law ?

Na whao

When Igbos were hating on all of us do you remember rule of law ?

Hypocrisy

Do the job for which you are paid but your master may not be comfortable with an eyecandy.

You don't know what rule of law is? That got me.

How did Ipob make it to your comment? The thread is about the government reneging on her earlier acceptance to pay former war victims and reconstruct some places in line with court order and you are calling Ipob.

Tell me, whose job is it to protect the sanctity of the judiciary by keeping court order, FGN or IPOB?

sarrki:


Impressed who
With or without the 2 core PDP region Pmb will win
Read my lips very well I mean South south and south east
What was there contributions to pmb emergence ?
That's why I laugh in my language when they come online boasting they will ouster him in 2019

Oga Sarrki, leave out those needless spaces you're using to make your writeups hard to read, abeg.
It seems you've divorced that your Igbo wife because all your posts today have been 'anti-Igbo' while you claim you are not sectional or tribalistic. Or maybe the series of bashing you're receiving here are beginning to unsettle you and leading to loosening some nuts in your psyche (no insults intended).

Daviddson:
Oga Sarrki, leave out those needless spaces you're using to make your writeups hard to read, abeg.
It seems you've divorced that your Igbo wife because all your posts today have been 'anti-Igbo' while you claim you are not sectional or tribalistic. Or maybe the series of bashing you're receiving here are beginning to unsettle you and leading to loosening some nuts in your psyche (no insults intended).

My in-law

Some Igbos renegade provoked me today

sarrki:


My in-law

Some Igbos renegade provoked me today

No vex. Take it easy. You're one of a very few strong pro-Buhari chanters here who never cease to register your displeasure when you feel he's gone wrong, but many people don't know. Omen.ka, Ngene would never do that.

Daviddson:
No vex. Take it easy. You're one of a very few strong pro-Buhari chanters here who never cease to register your displeasure when you feel he's gone wrong, but many people don't know. Omen.ka, Ngene would never do that.

Thank you sire

God bless you

People like you make us keep doing greater things for our country

sarrki:

Thank you sire
God bless you
People like you make us keep doing greater things for our country

You too.

sarrki:


Impressed who

With or without the 2 core PDP region Pmb will win

Read my lips very well I mean South south and south east

What was there contributions to pmb emergence ?

That's why I laugh in my language when they come online boasting they will ouster him in 2019

This year I have good news for you..The Lord said I should tell you that he will run your life the way buhari run Nigeria..
Shout a loud amen Mr patriot.

SHAKABOOM:

This year I have good news for you..The Lord said I should tell you that he will run your life the way buhari run Nigeria..
Shout a loud amen Mr patriot.

Shut up

AngryNaijaMan:
It was all publicity stunt, they did same thing to Ogoni people, promising to clean the environment.

Well said..Pls manage dis plate of nkwobi

sarrki:


Shut up

Why the insult na..It's just a harmless prayer na..Abi are you not a patriotic progressive again?

SHAKABOOM:

Why the insult na..It's just a harmless prayer na..Abi are you not a patriotic progressive again?

Mechonu

sarrki:


Mechonu

EZI ofia. Yu Wan go heaven but yu no Wan die..Hahahahahaha!

SHAKABOOM:

EZI ofia. Yu Wan go heaven but yu no Wan die..Hahahahahaha!

PDP is dead and buried

in the present weather?

i don't understand