Niger Delta Stakeholders Applaud Buhari Over Presidential Amnesty Programme
- President Muhammadu Buhari has been commended for continuing with the Presidential Amnesty Programme
- The programme was set up to be responsive to the hopes and aspirations of ex-agitators and the entire people of the Niger Delta region
- Some stakeholders in the region say the arrival of Maj-Gen Barry Ndiomu (rtd) as the interim administrator of the programme has been a success
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Lagos - The Niger Delta Rights Assembly (NDRA) has described the appointment of Major-General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd) as the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) as a blessing to the Niger Delta region and the nation in general.
The group thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the appointment, stating that the Nigerian leader ignored primordial sentiments and self-serving lobbyists in settling for Ndiomu.
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The NDRA which comprises mainly youths drawn from across the Niger Delta states, in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Tuesday, April 18, and signed by its president, Israel Bokromo, lauded Ndiomu for rising to the occasion of tackling the challenges facing the amnesty programme.
Part of the statement read:
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“We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing a true Niger Delta son in retired Major-General Barry Tariye Ndiomu as interim administrator of the amnesty programme.
“We recognize the pressure mounted on President Buhari to discontinue the programme by persons who do not mean well for the nation and Niger Delta people in particular.
“The president did not only snub the lobbyists; he appointed Ndiomu, a man of proven military discipline and integrity.
“We wish to place on record that Ndiomu’s appointment is not misplaced. Since arriving at the amnesty office, he has allowed an audit of the programme’s activities, exposing several fraudulent activities.
“He brought a regime of reforms that have helped to block the leakages and conduits through which many criminal-minded persons have been profiting and stealing money meant for the genuine ex-militants.”
NDRA commended the Buhari government for involving critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta in maintaining peace and ensuring the security of oil and gas infrastructure, and stemming the tide of stolen crude in the creeks.
The group noted that the culture of integrity, accountability, and transparency instituted by Ndiomu is yielding anticipated results, especially the exposure of monumental fraud bordering on flawed payment systems and contract inflation.
It listed some of the achievements recorded by Ndiomu, including earning the confidence and support of President Buhari, timely payment of monthly allocations, and sustaining peace in the region, leading to increased crude oil production, among others.
The group said that in barely six months, Ndiomu has saved the programme over N1.5 billion from inflated contracts and effectively positioned it towards achieving its core mandate of addressing ex-militants' needs.
It urged the incoming government to sustain the culture of probity and fiscal responsibility instituted by Ndiomu to stave off agitations in the future.
Amnesty boss urges support of traditional rulers to reform programme
Recall that Major General Ndiomu (rtd) recently sought the cooperation and support of traditional rulers in the Niger Delta region for the reform of the intervention programme.
Ndiomu, who noted that the monarchs command enormous influence which they can deploy to propagate the new policy direction, assured that his policy direction is aimed at ensuring that the programme becomes more impactful to the real beneficiaries.
He stated this when he hosted the traditional rulers under the aegis of the Association of Niger Delta Monarchs in Port Harcourt, noting that to maintain the desired peace and stability in the region, monarchs must be consulted just like other critical Niger Delta stakeholders.
Employment: Ijaw Youth Council reacts as Niger Delta ex-militants get jobs
Legit.ng had earlier reported that Maj-Gen Ndiomu recently facilitated the strategic engagement and employment of ex-Niger Delta militants in various security agencies and ministries in the country.
Reacting to the news, the president of Ijaw Youth Council IYC Worldwide, Comrade Peter Igbifa, commended the PAP boss for the initiative.
Such employment opportunities range from Nigeria's Civil Defence, Police, and Navy as well as international oil companies.
Source: Legit.ng
