Of recent, the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd), in a move to strategically reposition the PAP for self-sufficiency, kick-started a cooperative scheme, the Presidential Amnesty Programme (beneficiaries) Cooperative Society Limited (PAPCOSOL).

The scheme which is to be funded with a N1.5 billion cooperative fund to empower business-minded ex-agitators (referred to as "PAP delegates") in the Niger Delta region and will be serviced monthly with N500 million with focus on agriculture and manufacturing, is to enable ex-agitators to have a sustainable income as against their dependence on the provision of monthly stipend by the agency of government.

Recall that in the establishment of PAP in 2009 by the Federal Government of Nigeria towards ending militancy in the Niger Delta region, the agency was saddled with the responsibilities to disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate armed agitators in the region back into society so that they can make "reasonable and value driven contributions to the Nigerian State" according to Ndiomu.

The move for the creation of such a cooperative scheme by the Interim Administrator of PAP is applauded, especially as it tends to channel and move the minds of Niger Delta youths away from the habit of consumption to that of production, moreso when beneficiaries would be provided with technical support on their business ideas as well as access to grants. Asides the scheme putting an end to the dependency mentality occasioned by stipends, it will also, to a great extent, reduce corruption and waste.

But despite the positive outlook of the scheme if implemented in conformity to the established rules, we however believe that such a scheme should not be limited to only those referred to as "PAP delegates" even though PAP's business is with ex-agitators. This is because the problem of youth restiveness caused majorly by unemployment, which is escalating daily, is already breeding insecurity in the oil-rich region. And as admitted by Ndiomu himself, while intimating on the scheme, noted that the worsening unemployment and the underemployment of youths in the region is a situation that is causing the youths to become frustrated.

On the attention accorded ex-agitators, there are also feelers in some quarters that one of the low points in the establishment of PAP is the perception portrayed by the government that it is keen on recognising and rewarding only "violence" while it turns a blind eye and pay deaf ear to peaceful agitators or those who do not bear arms in the Niger Delta struggle. Such perception tends to birth the erroneous view point that "violence pays".

While we are not against the scheme's attention to supposed PAP delegates, we appeal to the Interim Administrator of PAP to widen the net to capture more Niger Delta youths outside "PAP delegates". All youths in the Niger Delta have an equal stake in the region and all are subjected to the degradation of the environment seasoned by pollution as well as unhealthy policies of the government and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.

Already, there are youths in the Niger Delta, who, despite the hash economic realities in the country, most particularly in the low-industrialized region, have tasked themselves on entrepreneurship, and are working hard to build a business empire for themselves. What these youths need is some little financial support. This support, we believe, will go a long way in leading to more engagements which in the long-term will reduce unemployment, a problem that engaging ex-agitators or PAP delegates only will not solve.

Therefore, the management of PAP should work out a broader initiative for those outside its PAP delegates list. It is time to transform the objectives of PAP and remodel it for broader inclusion towards economic gains and for the overall prosperity of the Niger Delta region. We believe that an all-embracing approach will pay more and that all Niger Delta youths who are stakeholders of the region deserve a fair share of government's intervention.

The PAP should therefore create working synergies with other agencies of government both at the federal and state levels in the Niger Delta, and collaborate together with them for the positive transformation of the region, especially in the aspect of human capital developments, without the recourse to segregation.

#penglobalreport #PAP #NigerDelta