February 21, (THEWILL) – The leadership and beneficiaries of the Third Phase of the Presidential Amnesty Program have distanced themselves from the recent protest at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, condemning it as the action of disgruntled elements seeking to mislead the public.
In a statement signed by the National Chairman of the Third Phase of the Presidential Amnesty Program, Gen. Elaye Slaboh, the group debunked claims that its beneficiaries participated in the protest, describing the demonstration as an orchestrated act by self-styled youths falsely claiming to be ex-agitators.
Slaboh insisted that no delegate from the Third Phase of the program was involved in the protest, stressing that neither videos nor photographs from the demonstration featured their members.
“The platform used to organize the protest is not recognized by any legitimate group in the Niger Delta. The protesters were hired to serve their sponsors’ interests,” he said.
He further described the demonstrators as faceless and disgruntled elements, alleging that they were paid to drag the Third Phase of the Amnesty Program into disrepute.
According to him, the group had recently held a well-publicized meeting, during which members vowed to pursue dialogue and peaceful negotiations rather than engage in protests.
The group urged the National Assembly and its leadership to disregard the protest, maintaining that those involved were not legitimate delegates of the Third Phase of the program.
“If they have any grievances, they should address them in their own regions rather than disturb the National Assembly, which is diligently performing its legislative duties,” the statement read.
Slaboh called on security agencies to take decisive action against individuals disturbing public peace under false pretenses, warning that the protest was merely an attempt to pressure the government through illegitimate means.
He further urged authorities to investigate and hold accountable those behind what he described as a misrepresentation of the amnesty beneficiaries.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
