Former Niger Delta militant, Pastor Reuben Wilson, has denied report that he diverted N150m amnesty funds set aside for some former militants.
In a report last week, some ex-militants had accused Wilson of reportedly diverting the money meant for their empowerment to his personal account.
In a petition through their lawyers, Olu Olujoh & Co and addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan, the former militants accused lamented that Wilson squandered “all the money the Federal Government paid through him” to compensate them.
They claimed further that Wilson was only giving out what pleases him, instead of paying them what was due to them and approved by the government.
However, in his denial, Wilson wondered why the ex-militants should arrogate a function not within his purview to him.
In a letter through his counsel, C.T. Olorogun & Co. and addressed to the former militants’ lawyers, Olu Olujoh & Co, Wilson said the Federal Government Amnesty Office “does not deal with ex-agitators through him.”
He said, “The cordial relationship, which my client enjoys with the Chairman of the Amnesty Programme, is personal and not official.
“The FG did not pay the housing allowances of former agitators (both leaders and members of camp) in Bayelsa to Wilson for disbursement to beneficiaries.
“The FG has accounting section that is saddled with the responsibility of such payments. Usually, a payment to ex-militants is through bank as they all submitted their bank details at the point of enlistment into the programme.
“Our client is not aware of the amount that was approved as housing allowance for each of the ex-militants. The amount approved and paid to each of them can be verified from the Amnesty Office.”
Faulting the report and the allegation, the letter stressed that it was a cheap campaign of calumny to suggest that Wilson defrauded ex-militants of their entitlements
Olorogun has therefore demanded N100m for damages suffered by Wilson. He also demanded that apology be published by the former militants in four national dailies and four local papers that are popular in the Niger Delta.
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