By Emma Amaize
WARRI — THE same group of ex-militants who stormed Abuja, some weeks ago, to protest their exclusion from the post-amnesty programme, yesterday, renewed their protest in Warri, Delta State.
This time, they  threatened to return to the creeks if they were not incorporated into the programme within seven days.
There was stampede at the Marine Quarters Area of the oil city as the ex-militants, numbering about 200 led by ‘Generals’ Augustine Oges and Kingsley Muturu, among others barricaded the Gbiaye Street, which led to Okumagba Avenue and other parts of the Oil City, holding up traffic for several hours.

The protesters gave the Federal Government a 7-day ultimatum to meet their demands and to set machinery in motion to rehabilitate their members or “else we would return to the creeks”. The ultimatum expires on the 5th of August, 2010.

They vowed to make the region ungovernable for the various state governors and the Federal Government if their members are not documented and engaged in the ongoing programmes.

Oges and other protesters told journalists they met at the NUJ Press Centre, Warri, which is along the road that their protest was a follow-up to the one held earlier this month in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. He said in spite of the Abuja protest, nothing had changed with them.

Specifically, he said President Goodluck Jonathan’s promise that a second phase of documentation would be carried to take care of them and their members was yet to be fulfilled, adding that they could no longer guarantee holding back their foot soldiers.

Their leader said media reports that they have apologised to the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Amnesty, Mr. Timi Alaibe, was not true, adding that they were unhappy with the post-amnesty programme of the Federal Government.

He said, “It is not true that we have apologised to Mr. Alaibe; that report is completely untrue because we know that some boys were given money to go back and make that apology.”

The situation is still as it is and this (Warri Protest) is the next phase of our action.

“We dropped our arms since October last year, but nothing has happened to us since then hence we stormed Abuja in July 7 to demand for proper documentation of our members who are yet to be documented.

“Time is running out and we do not want Timi to handle the second phase of the amnesty. The President should allow another competent Nigerian to handle this crucial phase of the amnesty. Timi has paid some boys to come and apologize to him over the protest to Abuja.

“We do not want him again and we are appealing to the President to be wary in order for him not to rock the boat of his administration. We are giving the President from now till August 5 to address our issue otherwise we will go back to the creeks and make this country ungovernable. Enough is enough,” they added.

According to our correspondent, the protest led to disruption of business activities along Gbiaye Street and other adjoining roads in the area as the ex_militants mounted road blocks with their vehicles, including a Hyundai Excel marked Asaba AQ 252 ASB and a Rover car, marked Abuja DW 725 ABJ.

Coordinator of the Post Amnesty Programme, Chief Timi Alaibi told  newsmen at Obubra last Thursday that the Federal Government was looking into the demands of the ex_militants.

His words, “I am aware that the government is inviting their leadership for discussion. I am also aware that government will review that situation and come up with directives to the operators. For now, we have not concluded that process. Once that process is concluded, you will know”.

He, however, said the key point was that government could not be intimidated by any irregularity and things should follow due process.