Ex-militant leaders ask Tinubu to overhaul Presidential Amnesty Programme

 

Stakeholders and ex-militant leaders under the aegis of the Movement for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta, MSDND, have asked President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, to rejig the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP.

 

In a statement made available to journalists, MSDND also called for the removal of the interim Administrator of the PAP, Maj. Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (retd), for effective and proper delivery of programme’s mandate to the region.

 

The group pointed out that the interim administrator’s tenure had elapsed since May 29, 2023, and as such he should not remain in the office.

 

MSDND noted that it is sad for the Tinubu administration to review policies, rejig structures and appoint substantive heads of other institutions, boards and organisations without considering what it described as the “rot, fraud and maladministration ongoing at the Presidential Amnesty Programme”.

 

In the statement signed by the National Coordinator, Chief Ayibatekena Olodin, the group demanded the appointment of a substantive Coordinator of the PAP for effectiveness, probity and accountability.

 

MSDND further raised allegations of fraud in the management of the Presidential Amnesty Cooperative Society Limited, set up by Ndiomu on 24th May 2023.

 

PAP had in May launched the N1.5 billion cooperative scheme for ex-agitators with an additional N500 million deposited in the account monthly.

 

But MSDND, in its statement, called on security and anti-graft agencies to invite the PAP anchors of the scheme for questioning on the whereabouts of the sum of ₦2.5billion allegedly missing from the cooperative’s account.

 

MSDND also stated that despite series of complaints, petitions and revelations of alleged diversion of billions of amnesty funds, non-payment of beneficiaries stipends and institutional fraud, “it is saddening that it is only the PAP that has remained untouched and unattended to by the present administration despite complaints and serious allegations of fraud”.