From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The former spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Ebilade Ekerefe, has called for increased funding for the Presidential Amnesty Programme( PAP).
Ekerefe speaking in Yenagoa while calling for an invigoration of the programme implore more focus on entrepreneurship development for ex-agitators.
He commended the interim administrator of PAP, Major- General Barry Tariye Ndiomu and called on the Federal Government to allocate more funds for the programme to succeed.
“PAP which is a security and human capacity development programme for ex agitators in the Niger Delta region, should be re-invigorated with increased funding. I commend the Interim Administrator of PAP, Maj Gen Barry Ndiomu (Rtd) for his laudable initiatives. First, in stabilizing the program and secondly, providing low interest loans to beneficiaries through “The Presidential Amnesty Programme Cooperative Society Limited”(PAPCOSOL). This initiative is already empowering about 1,000 ex-agitators across the Niger Delta in the first batch of its single digit interest loan scheme.
“I believe strongly that entrepreneurship for ex agitators is the best alternative in an economy where N65, 000 (Sixty Five Thousand naira) monthly stipends is not commensurate. We appeal to the federal government to make additional funds available to capture more youths in the Niger Delta region who are not part of the PAP program in the loan scheme.’’
Speaking on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ekerefe urged the Federal Government to pay up with it owed the Commission so as to performed its functions as an interventionist agency efficiently.
He passed a vote of vote in the Dr Samuel Ogbuku led NDDC management stressing however that the agency should focus on projects that would impact on the people.
‘’ While the management of the NDDC under Dr. Samuel Ogbuku seems to be sorting the enormous administrative problems and grabbling with huge debt owed the commission by the Federal Government, we call for a proactive engagement of stakeholders and implementation of comparative projects allocation to communities and states.
‘’The Federal Government should pay up the over 2 trillion naira being owed the NDDC since the year 2000. The amount is the accumulation of 15 per cent of the allocation of the nine states that make up the region, due to the Commission since 2000. This is despite the passage of the agency’s annual budget in 2021, 2022, and 2023; the funds were yet to be remitted to the Commissions account.’’
Ekerefe called on candidates that contested the last governorship elections
to accept the outcome of the election and join hands with Governor Douye Diri to move Bayelsa State forward.
According to him the decline in violent politics in the state is an indication that Bayelsa youths have made it clear that they are no longer available to be used as political thugs.