The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency pay 5-month backlog of stipends being owed ex-militants of the Niger Delta region in Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP.

Eric Omare, spokesman of the IYC, made the call in a statement made available to journalists in Warri, Delta.

Omare said that the IYC was not satisfied with the way the amnesty programme is being handled by the coordinator, Paul Boroh.

He said that Boroh’s excuse that the delay in the payment was because of the Treasury Single Account, TSA, policy of the government, was not enough reason.

The spokesman lamented that the non-payment had subjected the ex-militants to untold hardship and a `miserable’ Christmas celebration.

“Niger Delta ex-militants under the amnesty programme are being owed five months arrears of stipends,” Omare said.

“We also call on the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Babagana Munguno, under whose office the amnesty programme is domiciled, to take steps to immediately effect the payments to avoid unnecessary hostility.”

However, in an earlier interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Boroh assured the ex-militants of payment of the stipends, urging them not to be agitated by the delay.

According to him, the Federal Government is aware of the pains they were going through and will ensure that they get their stipends soon.

“I am assuring all beneficiaries under the programme that arrangements are being made to fast-track the payment of their stipends as soon as the Amnesty Office receives its allocation,” Mr. Boroh had said.