In what is an apparent reaction to a statement credited to one Mr. Esimaje Awani in the Vanguard Newspaper of Wednesday July 2, 2014, wherein under the name of Itsekiri National Youths Council, he urged the Federal government to stop payment of Itsekiri ex-militants’ stipend through Hon. David Tonwe, a group of beneficiaries of the post amnesty programme of the federal government under the aegis of Association of Itsekiri Beneficiaries have described Esimaje Awani as “a piper paid to do the dictates of his paymasters who are the enemies of the Itsekiri nation”.
The beneficiaries numbering over 70 in an online statement made available to Fresh Angle declared that they are very happy with the progress so far made by the Itsekiri National Youths Council under the leadership of Hon. David Tonwe, who according to them “has even gone to lengths to secure funds for many of our colleagues to run their academic programs in Universities in the UK.”
According to the association of Itsekiri beneficiaries, participation in the post amnesty programme was done on community basis and they are living witnesses that “identified leaders including Mr. Esimaje’s paymasters nominated candidates some of whom are their in-laws now studying abroad”.
They challenged the EFCC to carry out investigation on the N 100 million amnesty money allegedly paid to the David Tonwe led INYC and warned Esimaje Awani as well as his supporters that if payment under the amnesty is disrupted, “they should very well relocate from Warri as we shall not tolerate this kind of meddlesomeness into a program that has been running satisfactorily.”
Fresh Angle can report that one-time Chairman of Okere Youth in Warri and ex-aide to Hon. Omawumi Udoh of Delta State House of Assembly, Tidi Peter, Ayomike Terry and one Emiko Onuwaje are among the over 70 beneficiaries that signed the statement.
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