The 9th NEC of the Ijaw Youth Council has called on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal Government to increase funding for the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). This was disclosed by the President of IYC World Wide, Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri (Snr) on Monday 8th January 2024, when he led members of his Executive, Zonal Chairmen, Critical Stakeholders on a courtesy call on the management of the President Amnesty Programme led its Interim Administrator Major Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (Rtd), at the Presidential Amnesty Office in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri Snr advocated for an upward review of the allocation acruable to the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) from the Federal Government’s purse in order to meet up with currently economic realities.
Lokpobiri also called for stringent intervention support from the Federal Government to enable the PAP meet up with it’s mandate, current realities and expectations.
While noting that the Programme has been “tremendously successful” in terms of impacting lives of young Niger Deltans, the IYC President pledged the commitment and readiness of the IYC as the umbrella body of young people in the region to partner and work “strategically” with Major Gen. Ndiomu (Rtd) to further reposition the PAP.
“With the fast decrease in value of the Naira, a N65billion annual funding is a far cry. N65billion of now cannot do what N65 billion of before would have done,” he said, stressing further in his own words that “It is our appeal to the Government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that there needs to be a review”.
As part of its contribution to building the capacity of youths, Lokpobiri pointed out that the IYC is currently building a Training Center in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. He said upon completion of the Center, the IYC will enter into strategic partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for professional services and advice.
In his response, the Interim Administrator, of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Major Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu commended the IYC President for his acknowledgement of paucity of funds in the PAP. “When people make comments without getting their facts right, it becomes displeasing,” he said, concerning Lokpobiri’s acknowledgement of the current realities of the value of naira to dollar.
Major Gen. Ndiomu further charged the IYC leadership to take up the responsibility of preaching the many success stories of the PAP to young people in the region, while also advising them to drop the culture of laziness and indolence, and begin to think of “bigger” ways to sustainably improve their lives.
Clearing the air on the Amnesty’s Scholarship programmes, Major Gen Ndiomu reiterated that his administration has cleared all academic bills of its beneficiaries, both for local and foreign students. He called on the Ijaw Nation to “check its excesses”, and explore ways of working with other ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta region to drive “peace, unity and harmony”.
While decrying the “disturbing” level of poverty in Ijaw land, the Interim Administrator expressed worry that young people in Niger Delta are not taking full advantage of the enormous opportunities in the region. Among these, he listed the vast natural habitat for rice farming, and the untapped potentials of oil palm production.
He also expressed his desire for the possibility of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to transition into a Social Intervention Programme.
Nigeria Star News 