It was jubilation galore among youths drawn from the nine states of the Niger Delta region on Friday as they learnt that President Bola Tinubu has approved an upward review of the budget of the Presidential Amnesty Programme “to accommodate more stakeholders, including women, that were hitherto not carried along”.
The Administrator of the Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, broke the news to the delegates at a stakeholders meeting held in Warri, Delta State, with the teeming youths comprising some ex-militants.
He noted with delight that “many of the lingering problems concerning the PAP beneficiaries have been resolved”.
“Mr. President is really interested in our Budget increment,” Otuaro reiterated.
The PAP Administrator said, “Even though Nigeria is presently going through economic challenges, it will phase out very soon.
“So, I appeal to you, ladies and gentlemen, my brothers and my leaders, to still continue to give Mr. President your support.
“The President has that goodwill towards the development of the Niger Delta, especially the issue of our Rast-West road. He is serious about it. The contract has been re-awarded to a Chinese firm which, by the grace of God, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, they will start work on it very soon”.
Speaking further, the PAP Administrator appealed to the Niger Delta youths to discountenance the rumours being peddled about the possibility of a protest rally against the authorities on October 1.”
Otuaro however, appealed to the people of the Niger Delta to sustain the regional peace, saying, “We are partners in progress. Protests for decades have never done us any good. Rather, protests have resulted in investors in the Niger Delta region running away.
“So, it is time for us to play our role to see that this peace process in the Niger Delta region continues to continue to the end, and the core investors, even our private investments too, attract more investors to this region.
“This is no time for us to be used for self-serving interests again. We must all endeavour to continue to make the Niger Delta region peaceful.”
According to him, as far as the PAP is concerned, all the stakeholders are partners for peace, development and growth in the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole.
“We should continue to give our support to our communities, our region, to this country Nigeria and Mr. President.
“You are No. 1 partners for the sustenance of the existing peace that the government has seen in the Niger Delta and peace will bring more development to the region,” the PAP Administrator submitted.
Otuaro disclosed that the Presidential Amnesty Programme is already reviewing its vocational training programmes to incorporate infrastructural and human development.
Some of the PAP, beneficiaries while responding, commended the Federal Government for its relentless efforts at changing the hitherto uncomplimentary narratives about the Niger Delta region promising their unalloyed support to the authorities in this regard.
In his contribution, a legal practitioner, Mr Emperor Joseph, representing the human rights community in the Niger Delta region stated that “the leaders of the October 1 protest are faceless”.
“We in the Niger Delta are not supporting their call”.
While noting that the root causes of misunderstandings between the government and the governed in the country “have always been underdevelopment”, he charged the Federal Government to “tackle this frontally”.
Also commenting, the pioneer President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Mr. T. K. Ogoriba noted that “the Federal Government is aware of what the people of Niger Delta need”, just as he called for solidarity with the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
“If we sustain the peace in the region, the Government will even do more for us”, Ogoriba stated.
Also speaking in the same vein, other youth leaders from different parts of the Niger Delta including Ibena Rufus Salvation, Sele Diseye, Silas Toruwei Polobubo and Evangelist Ogede Parkins maintained that youths from the region would not allow themselves to be used for any anti-government protest as, according to them, “the protest organisers have ulterior motives”.
