By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide has expressed its displeasure over what it called insufficient funds being allocated for the Presidential Amnesty Programme in the face of the current economic realities.
The council noted that the economic dynamics in the country have made the funds insufficient for the purpose it’s meant for. It called on the Federal Government to approve more funds for the Presidential Amnesty Programme to perform optimally for sustainable peace in the Niger Delta.
The IYC President, Jonathan Lokpobiri, made the call while speaking with journalists shortly after he led a council delegation on a courtesy visit to the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, in Abuja.
This was further expressed in a statement signed by the spokesperson for the IYC, Princewill Binebai and made available to journalists.
The statement quoted Lokpobiri as stating that the scope of the PAP was expanding and should no longer be ran with its current budget, which had remained the same for many years.
The umbrella body of Ijaw youths noted that the programme still has a lot to do to ensure continued stabilisation of the region.
The group said the present economic realities in Nigeria and emerging challenges in the region made it even more compelling to appropriate more funds for the programme.
It noted that while paucity of funds may defeat the reason for the establishment of the programme.
The council said it discovered after a careful assessment of the programme that the Dollar was exchanging for N120 when the PAP started, adding that there were sufficient justifiable reasons for the government to consider strengthening the programme with additional funds.
The Ijaw youths appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Ministers of Finance and Budget and Economic Planning, as well as the leadership of the National Assembly to see the need to make more funds available for the programme.
The statement read partly: “As Ijaw Youth Council, we have done a careful assessment of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and the massive achievements that the programme has recorded over the years.
“However, our assessment showed that the programme can no longer run effectively with its current budget because when it was conceived, the dollar was exchanged for N120.
“Today, this same programme is still being run with the same budgetary provision of N65bn for a whole year. Currently, the dollar is exchanged for N1,700 and the funding of the programme has remained stagnant while the needs of the programme are expanding.
“We, as a council, want to passionately appeal to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Budget, the National Assembly, the Senate President and the leadership of the National Assembly to work together to improve the funding of the programme.”
Lokpobiri commended Otuaro for repositioning the PAP and “bringing the programme back to our people in the Niger Delta.”
The PAP boss reassured the Ijaw youths that the programme was in safe hands.
He said the PAP was at the reintegration phase which he described as critical in the implementation of the programme’s objectives, adding that his leadership understood the vital roles of stakeholders towards the sustainable peace, security and stability of the region.
While thanking the IYC for the visit, Otuaro said, “When I came into office, I knew the task ahead. I also know the roles of the Ijaw National Congress, our women and other organisations.”
