An ex-militant leader has replied President Muhammadu Buhari, in his Christmas speech, which touched on his challenges since assuming office in 2015 to wit: the menace Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria particularly the North East and that of the defeated Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, in the Niger Delta region......READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Israel Eshanekpe, aka Akpodoro, adduced the subsisting challenges to the poor reward system of the President in a statement he made available to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday.
Akpodoro said the President has not compensated those who worked conscientiously for him, including the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, NCNDE-A led by him and others, who laboured for the President before and after his emergence as president noting President Buhari rather in a weird manner chose to reward the enemies of his government.
Akpodoro claimed that he led the youths and ex-militants into supporting the All Progressives Congress, APC-led administration of President Buhari after receiving ‘bullets’ for the Army General turned politician; have nothing to show for their solidarity and support for the Daura, Katsina state-born President.
He noted that at the time he shouldered the campaign of the president in the Delta region when it was suicidal to do so but he believed in the person of the then General, he led members of his coalition to campaign in all the books and crannies of the region without fear or trepidation adding that on several occasions he escaped assassination attempts on his life including that of his the teeming members of his Coalition.
Pointedly, Akpodoro recalled that a time was when at the meeting of ex-militants towards the 2015 general election, he had to challenge a particular governor in one of the states of the Niger Delta region to stop instigating violence right in the Government House at the end of which he was bundled out by the governor’s security, who he alleged pounced on him for openly opposing the governor, who was calling on ex-agitators to go back to the creeks if General Buhari won the election then.
On his way back to Warri, Delta State, he was attacked and narrowly escaped the killers’ bullets but: “what did we get, President Buhari on his victory at the poll appointed those against whom he fought” into boards and federal government institutions without recourse to those who championed his course wondering why the President would openly admit betrayal of his supporters in his speech saying; “if you empower your enemies surely, you will pay dearly for deliberate betraying your own.”
He noted that the administration of President Buhari got what it deserved in the challenges it suffered during his reign stressing that no government enjoys better in a perfidious environment and in the manner Mr Buhari operates adding that except the earlier the President changed his what he described as his approach, he would always get same result.
“When the bombing of oil and gas pipelines were being planned,” Akpodoro said, “it’s on record that he alerted the nation on the looming dangers then, an action he stated was rebuffed by the security apparatus of the government; only for the former security Chiefs to send for him when the Avengers struck unrelentingly and he led his men into saving the FG the dilemma and the then doom that was to befall the nation, a development, he said heightened the attacks on him and his family.
