Follow Us on Google
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Ex-militant leaders from the Niger Delta region have again raised alarm over the delisting of 3,548 beneficiaries from the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in a bid to terminate the programme by the 31st December 2022 deadline.
They have therefore urged the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd) to reinstate those affected to douse brewing tension in the oil rich region.
The ex-militant leaders, in a statement via electronic mail, and signed by former ex-militant leader, General Boma Inewariku (aka Atangba-One), alleged the delisting was without due consultation with the stakeholders.
According to him, affected beneficiaries from single slots are 2,954 while others including from various camps are 227 from Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo ; 287 from King Ateke Tom and 80 from Victor Ebikabowei aka Boyloaf.
General Boma also disclosed that beneficiaries from the camps of Pastor Reuben Wilson, Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere (aka Lami), Eris Paul (aka Ogunboss) and Great Joshua Macaiver, among others have been pencilled for delisting.
Boma therefore called on Ndiomu to reinstate the 3,548 Amnesty beneficiaries warning those arguing in favour of the delisting to desist from sycophancy.
He revealed that the delisting of beneficiaries is to hit 10,000 while the remaining 20,000 beneficiaries would be transferred to other ministries in 2023.
The ex-militant leader queried the motive behind closing the amnesty programme while funds from from the Niger Delta’s oil is being used to rehabilitate repentant terrorists.
The statement read in part, “How can these people continue to support Ndiomu that is publicly fighting against the interest of the Ijaw Nation and our region in order to close-down the only programme that is of such strategic importance to our people. There are many federal intervention programmes with budgets of billions of naira across the north and no one hears about them, or even thinks of shutting them down.
“The presidency is utilising billions of naira exploited from the Niger Delta region to train and rehabilitate Boko-Haram terrorists, and Islamic States of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists that have killed and maimed thousands of innocent Nigerians while millions of Nigerians are displaced by the actions of these terrorists.
“Whereas the Presidential Amnesty Programme that have contributed to the unity of Nigeria, sustained the peace in the Niger Delta region with increased volumes of oil and gas production, and assisted the federal government in generating excess revenues of over $300billion USD from the sales of oil and gas products within the past twelve years, has not seen the amount of money that has been poured into the North-Eastern region since the inception of the PAP.”
