By Emmanuel Nduka
Youths under the platform of the Northern Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN), have kicked against the Nigerian Government’s proposed loan to former Niger Delta militants, and has threatened legal action if the decision is not rescinded.
Heritage Times had reported that the Nigerian Government is to facilitate the loans through the NIRSAL Micro Finance Bank (NMFB)
The NYCN in a statement issued on Tuesday, jointly signed by Comrade Isah Abubakar and Comrade Mock Samuel Kure, its President and Director General, Media and Publicity, respectively, stated that it was shocked that despite the huge amount that is released monthly to the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), the Government is still planning to dish out billions as loan to 1,500 Ex Niger-Delta militants who once raised arms against the state and threatened national unity.
Thus, the Council noted that the action of the management of the NIRSAL MFB if not checked, is capable of making graduates who are roaming the streets and have tried in vain to secure the Federal Government’s loan facility, to consider venturing into crime as though that is the surest way of getting government’s attention and interventions.
“We are aware that NIRSAL MFB is being funded by our common wealth domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria, hence, the activities of the bank should follow the principle of federal character, which means that the former militants must be treated equally like other law abiding citizens.
“Should the bank insist on going ahead to favour a section of the country at the detriment of others, the council will have no option than call on the appropriate Committee in both chambers of the National Assembly responsible for ensuring compliance in the principle of federal character to probe the disbursement that have been made by the micro finance bank since its inception.
“If the National Assembly fails to do so, we won’t hesitate to seek legal redress call out our members to occupy our streets until we are treated equally in Nigeria project,” the NYCN stated.
