Niger Delta: Govt suspends decision to terminate Amnesty Programme

There was jubilation in the Niger Delta Region, at the weekend, following the decision of the Federal Government to rescind its earlier plans to terminate the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

The Interim Administrator, PAP, Maj-Gen Barry Ndiomu (rtd.), confirmed the government’s new position.

Ndiomu, in statement issued by PAP’s Media Consultant, Donu Kogbara, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for listening when he made it clear that critical stakeholders across the region were strongly opposed to its winding up.

Ndiomu added that all stakeholders have agreed that the programme needed to be totally refocused and restructured.

He said that the government weighed the arguments presented to them, based on their merits, and decided to suspend the planned shutdown.

Ndiomu said the Federal government’s Willingness to retrace its steps demonstrated the sensitivity of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led’s administration to issues affecting the Niger Delta.

The statement said: “The Federal Government has heard the concerns of Niger Delta people and, with our best interests at heart, has decided to shelve an unwanted termination agenda and transform PAP into a more sanitised, transparent, efficient, robust and sustainable entity.

“The decision was taken after the feelings of stakeholders and people of the region were communicated to the government and proves that the Buhari’s administration will not do anything to jeopardise the peace in the Niger Delta.

“We call on all stakeholders to sustain the peace in the region and help the new administration reform, refocus and reposition the programme for optimum performance”.