The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) on Wednesday called on the federal government to pay the backlog of stipends owed ex-militants.

Eric Omare, the council’s spokesman, made the call in a statement, saying the former agitators are suffering.

Omare said the IYC was not happy with the disposition of Paul Boroh, coordinator of the amnesty programme, towards facilitating  the release of the stipends.

He said Boroh had attributed the delay in the payment to the treasury single account (TSA) policy of the government.

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

Omare said the non-payment had subjected the ex-militants to untold hardship and “miserable” Christmas celebration.

“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,” he said.