From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo Agada IV and the 2nd Vice President Ijaw National Congress (INC), Chief Nengi James Eriworio, have kicked against the reported plan by the Federal Government to scrap the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
The two leaders agreed that the PAP has contributed to the unity of Nigeria, sustained the peace in the Niger Delta region 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.
While King Dakolo commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the appointment of the new Interim Administrator, Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (retd), he noted the PAP should be sustained so that the youths of the region will have more opportunity to be trained and empowered to become useful citizens from the region.
“We want to call for the Presidential Amnesty Programme to be sustained, so that the teeming youths in the region who are still suffering from one form of displacement or unemployment are properly trained and empowered for the future of the region. These youths will have a reason and an opportunity to be properly trained to become more useful citizens of the Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large.
“Because once these young men are not properly trained or groomed, they are going to be available for all kinds of evil machinations. I think the programme needs to be sustained. It has been around for a while, but it is yet to achieve its total objective for which it was established due to external political influence. Now that we have a new person on board, the Presidency needs to allow him to steer the ship without politicising the programme,” he said.
James, who doubles as the Bayelsa State Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), argued that “despite the challenges of control and misapplication of priorities in terms of training and funding” the PAP should be sustained for the sake of peace in the Niger Delta
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to shun the calls for the scrapping of the Presidential Amnesty Programme but increase the funding for the training and empowerment of the youths of the region.
“There is the need to sustain the Amnesty Programme and allow for proper training and engagement of the youths of the region, there are many youths that are still waiting to be trained. Some are even in court seeking to be included in the Presidential Amnesty programme, while millions of youths across the region are eagerly expressing their desires to be included in the Amnesty Programme.
“Therefore it is in the interest of the federal government to sustain this affordable peace, instead of scrapping this cost effective peace for an unknown alternative that might cost ten to twenty times more.”