Pan-Ijaw socio-cultural groups comprising the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), and Traditional Rulers in the Niger Delta region have commended Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd) for his robust six-month stewardship of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
The group who scored Ndiomu high in terms of performance as Interim Administrator of the PAP, said they were buoyed by his strategic and robust stakeholders’ consultation and engagement, which they acknowledged is key to solving the problems of the region.
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Prof. Benjamin Okaba, INC President in an interview with Arise TV recently, noted that under Ndiomu, the Amnesty Programme is taking a new dimension of growth. He said the PAP boss is not only liaising with stakeholders in the region, but also addressing their demands.
Assessing the General’s six-month performance, Okaba said “the present boss has started the process of assessing employment opportunities for ex-militants who have gotten training from both local and international sources.
“I learned some of them have been pushed into security services, some into the oil companies, and some are even encouraged to form cooperatives with funding so that they can start up their own businesses.
“Under Buhari, it is on record that about 121 first-class graduates have been produced from the Amnesty Programme.
“The Amnesty Programme is taking a new shape. There are serious consultations. He goes down to the stakeholders in their villages and communities, harkens to their demands and addresses them as swiftly as possible.
“I’ll personally score Ndiomu about 70% because he has done well.”
In like manner, spokesperson for the IYC, Ebilade Ekerefe described Ndiomu as a man of “discipline and courage”, who has contributed to the sustainable peace being experienced in the Niger Delta region.
Ekerefe commended the PAP boss for his consistent interface with stakeholders of the Niger Delta region, stating that Ndiomu is committed to positioning the Amnesty Programme to achieve the aims and objectives for which it was established in 2009.
“Major General Ndiomu has also contributed to the sustained peace that we are currently enjoying in the region. Ndiomu is a man of discipline, character and courage, the president appointed him as chairman of the special panel on crude oil theft.
“So we commend Ndiomu for his consistent interface with stakeholders of the region, which is very key because the program itself is a product of stakeholders’ decisions.
“The president saw capacity and courage in Ndiomu which was what informed the president to appoint him in that capacity. Of course, that has also contributed to his being appointed as chairman of the special panel on crude oil theft.
“He is a man who is committed to making sure that the Amnesty Programme is positioned in achieving the aims and objectives of why it was set up,” Ekerefe said.
The group jointly affirmed that the periodic stakeholder consultation, engagement and assessment of employment opportunities for ex-agitators have brought a new lease of life to the Presidential Amnesty Programme. The move, they said, has been largely appreciated by Traditional Rulers and people in the communities.
It would be recalled that since his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari on September 15, 2022, the PAP boss has paid consultative visits to critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.
As part of efforts to provide employment opportunities for ex-agitators, he has also visited the Head of the Civil Service, National Information Technology Development Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other parastatals.
General Ndiomu is currently the Chairman of the Federal Government’s Special Investigative Panel on Crude Oil Theft/Losses.
