A foremost pressure group in the oil rich Niger Delta Region, the Niger Delta People's Movement for Justice, NDPMJ, has urged President Bola Tinubu to without further delay announce the retention and confirmation of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Major-General Barry Ndiomu (retd), as the substantive chief executive so that he could continue with his good works in the amnesty office.

The group made its stand known following a resolution reached at an expanded executive committee meeting held in Yenagoa on Friday, with delegates drawn from Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ondo, and Rivers states.

In a statement issued in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, and signed by its President, Comr. Topic Akoje; Secretary, Barr. Sam Ilumia; and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Amoni Ichi said the NDPMJ has carefully watched activities at the amnesty office since General Ndiomu assumed office as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. 

The group said it was impressed with the General Ndiomu's strides and in his efforts in identifying with the ideals of the founding fathers of the PAP which is for the amnesty office to impact directly on ex-agitators who are the real beneficiaries.

The statement also noted that General Ndiomu's decision to directly engage stakeholders including traditional rulers, governors and opinion leaders following his appointment, contributed in no small measure in creating  a straight trajectory for the Programme as every decision taken so far was a consensus of all stakeholders.

Members of the group declared that "General Ndiomu has brought laudable policies to the Programme that have added sustainable value to the lives of the ex-agitators particularly those early initiatives which have sanitized the PAP which now enjoys data hygiene.”

The group particularly commended General Ndiomu for keeping faith with payment of the monthly N65,000 stipends to the ex-agitators in the face of dwindling resources and competing demands.

Speaking on the formal education scholarship scheme, the group said, “We also observed that PAP under the leadership of Gen. Ndiomu has a list of beneficiaries on the scholarship scheme who are from the Niger Delta region.

"As stakeholders we are also aware that the formal education scholarship scheme has been restructured and the precepts of discipline and the pursuit of academic success are held dearly.

"The academic activities and performance of students on the scholarship scheme are closely monitored, and those areas of leakages have been effectively blocked.

“It is worthy to note that scholarship slots were sold under previous administrations to individuals who were not part of the Amnesty Programme. A lot of scholarship racketeering happened then but Ndiomu has sanitized the system to create opportunities for people in the region” the group added.

Lauding the cooperative scheme which is termed a legacy establishment of the Ndiomu administration, the group said, "the co-operative scheme is rooted on the premise of creating a sustainable alternative livelihood for ex-agitators and people in the region to enable them to start, grow, and upscale their businesses".

They  urged Niger Delta ex-agitators to key into the scheme, instead of engaging in protests, pipeline vandalism, oil bunkering and other anti-social activities.

“The people should realize that the Cooperative is creating an entrepreneurial revolution in the region to encourage productive activities and small scale businesses. We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give General Ndiomu the needed support to enable him to consolidate on the initiatives by making him the substantive Co-ordinator of the amnesty office.”

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