Ex-militants Protest, Block Ughelli/ Asaba Expressway Over Allowance
EX-militants schooling in Admiralty University, Ibusa, Delta State, under the Amnesty Programme, Friday, barricaded the Asaba/Ughelli expressway in protest against the reduction of N45,000 from their monthly in-training allowance, ITA, of N70,000.
The students, in their hundreds, who barricaded the road for over two hours, caused traffic gridlock as travelers were trapped.
It took the intervention of the police and men of the Department of State Service, DSS, to clear the road.
The protesters, who demanded, among other things, that the monthly allowance, which included their feeding, to be paid to them directly, also called for the Regularization Of Admission Letter/Matriculation Number and Forceful Mid Semester Vacation of the School premises and others.
The students, who rejected the school food, said they want to henceforth feed themselves.
Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeleke Adeyinka, and other security agents appealed to the protesting students to clear the road for motorists.
The police boss and other security agents met with some of the students and the Vice Chancellor of the School, Leinard Shilgba.
The media aide to the Special Adviser to the President, Mr Murphy Ganagana, however, said that part of the conditions for offer of admission to the university’s prospective students is compulsory provision of feeding by the institution for which the Amnesty Office agreed to pay N45, 000 monthly for their feeding out a sum of N70, 000 entitled to each delegate as ITA.
“Consequently, delegates of the Amnesty Programme on sponsorship at Admiralty University are to receive N25, 000 monthly being the balance on their ITA, along with other entitlements.
“However, despite communicating and clarifying the development to our delegates at the institution during an orientation exercise, some of them decided not to accept the sponsorship letters offered them by the Amnesty Programme.
“The Amnesty Office hereby advises its delegates at Admiralty University opposed to the institution’s feeding policy and rejected the sponsorship letters to vacate the school premises and apply in writing to the Presidential Amnesty Programme for redeployment to other universities for the next academic session.
“We wish to emphasize that deployment for the 2018/19 academic session has elapsed in the Presidential Amnesty Programme and redeployment to other institutions is not feasible presently. Boat operator, assistant arrested for endangering the lives of 12 school children
“While payment will be processed on acceptance of terms of scholarship by delegates at Admiralty University, those who rejected the offer are to vacate the school premises without further delay and shall not be entitled to any payment.
“Amnesty Programme delegates deployed in the institution for the current academic session have a window of seven (7) days with effect from today (3rd to 10thApril, 2019) to take a position on this issue, by accepting or declining the offer of sponsorship”.
