Extend tenure of amnesty programme coordinator, Group urges Tinubu

A group under the auspices of the Coalition of Niger Delta Civil Society Groups have called on the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to extend the tenure of the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Major General Barry Ndiomu (retd).

The group which includes the Niger Delta Solidarity Forum, Niger Delta Progressive Front and Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Movement, also demanded that Ndiomu be appointed substantive Chairman or the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty Programme.

Speaking in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday, the leader of the coalition, Comrade Bunawari Doso stated that Ndiomu had done well in the office and if his tenure was extended, he would achieve a lot more in the office, saying he had a passion for development and promotion of the ideals of the office.

Doso explained that a lot of achievements were ascribed to Ndiumo’s administration, which included the creation of the Amnesty Corporative Scheme.

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He said “In our previous statements, we have articulated some of the successes of the PAP boss, not just because we have ulterior motives of getting favours but because as critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta region, we have observed for the last few years that all is not well with the amnesty institution created by the federal government many years ago until our amiable General came on board to retool it.

“Coming from an era where the entitlements and welfare of beneficiaries of the PAP projects were bastardised on the altar of selfish interest and personal aggrandizement, General Ndiomu came like a Messiah we have all been waiting for to liberate our people from the bondage of those seem to be too powerful to be questioned or probed on grounds of abuse of office for personal gains. He shared in our people’s yearning and aspirations and gave accelerated directives on the payment of outstanding entitlements of our people which some individuals deliberately withheld for reasons best known to them for more than 3 years.

“He started by rallying around support from philanthropists in the country as a way of making sure some of these bright and promising ex-agitators may begin to widen the scope of their income the moment they are able to invest some of the grants that would be given to them. He met with the European Union delegates on how best his proposed cooperative scheme for the ex-agitators could be more fast-tracked in his bid to ensure that people are empowered beyond the scope of the monthly stipends.”

According to the group, General Ndiomu has done excellently well, and “that is why we are all gathered here to coordinate this press conference with our own resources, and I’m sure he will be surprised to see this media endorsement we have carefully coordinated. What matters more to us is the continuation of these giant strides. ”

“We call on the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to retain this man who has taken public service as indeed a call to service and he will make sure he continues to fight corruption and make the PAP saner. We cannot afford to have a halt in the progress of the current transformation that is greeting this programme, rather we need to advance the course of the programme.”