Posted by The Port Harcourt Telegraph on
Dr. Judith Asuni, the executive Director of Academic Associates Peace Works (AAPW), in Abuja, (FCT), with branches all over the country, has finally broken her silence and opened up on the controversial three hundred and forty million she is alleged to have pledged to youths from the Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State.
Dr. Judith Asuni, the executive Director of Academic Associates Peace Works (AAPW), in Abuja, (FCT), with branches all over the country, has finally broken her silence and opened up on the controversial three hundred and forty million she is alleged to have pledged to youths from the Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State.
In February 2005, as part of AAPW's disarmament, conflict resolution and management programme, which are the primary concerns of the Academic Associates peace works (AAPW). The non-governmental organization in conjunction with Our Niger Delta (OND), another crisis management and development focused group, led by Mr. Von Dimeari Kemedi, a young conflict mitigation expert and others, working in the Niger Delta belt, organized a week retreat for youths from Rivers State in Jos, the capital of Plateau State.
The forum brought together over 1,000 youths from Rivers State who were locked in bloody battles in the creeks and streets for several months. Our correspondent gathered that they were trained in skill development, leadership challenges, conflict mitigation, management and responsible citizenship.
Shortly after the event, rumours spread that Dr. Judith Asuni has pledged to give Ogoni youths who attended the events and others, who did not attend and numbering 340 youths, if they submit their passport photographs to AAPW's secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, they would be give one million naira (N1m) each by Asuni and her group.
An Ogoni youth who attended the Jos workshop and spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said, "we are still waiting for the money I heard from one of my friends that she pledged to give us, to better our lives".
Also speaking to the paper in Port Harcourt, the American born social psychology and family sociology scholar rebuffed the claim. "I never pledged to give any money to Ogoni youth. What I am doing in Ogoniland and other places in the Delta, is to work with government, oil companies and donor agencies to bring development to the rural people".
"To make the government, oil companies and donor agencies to respond positively to the needs of the communities, to provide Scholarship, Micro credit, electricity, good water, good road and other, I never promised to give money because I don't have the money, I will continue to do my best for the communities in Ogoniland and other places in Nigeria". She pledged.