Amnesty: Presidency of IYC praises Ndiomu, calls for more financing.
Retired Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu has been praised for his achievements as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) by Mr. Jonathan Lokpobiri, President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC).
During his courtesy visit to Ndiomu, Lokpobiri also pushed for a review of PAP’s budget allocation, which was increased.
All of this is contained in a statement that Lokpobiri gave to reporters in Abuja on Tuesday.
In order for the programme to adapt to the present and future, the IYC president said that a review of the funding for PAP should be upward.
N65 billion in yearly funding is nothing compared to the rapidly declining value of the naira. The reason being, N65 billion’s capabilities in 2023 won’t carry over to 2024.
“We humbly request that President Bola Tinubu conduct an upward assessment of the allocation to PAP,” Lokpobiri stated.
He said that the scheme had changed the lives of many young people in the Niger Delta for the better.
As the regional youth organisation, he said the IYC is prepared to collaborate with Ndiomu strategically to reposition the PAP even further.
During his remarks, Ndiomu praised the IYC president for recognising the PAP’s financial constraints.
It is annoying when people speak without checking their facts. Lokpobiri has shown maturity by admitting that the naira’s value relative to the dollar is where it is right now.
Ndiomu went on to say that the IYC leadership should preach to the region’s youth about the PAP’s many successes.
He continued by saying that IYC should encourage the region’s youth to stop being so sluggish and start coming up with more ambitious plans to enhance their lives in the long run.
Ndiomu cleared the air over the Amnesty Scholarship Programmes, reassuring everyone that the programme was still running and that his government had paid off the tuition of all recipients, whether they were from the country or not.
Nevertheless, Ndiomu urged the Ijaw people to consider collaborating with other ethnic groups in the Niger Delta area to promote unity, harmony, and peace.
Ndiomu voiced concern that the youth of the Niger Delta were squandering the region’s vast potential while simultaneously condemning the appalling poverty in Ijaw Land.
The unrealized potential of oil palm cultivation and the extensive natural environment for rice planting were among the opportunities he highlighted.
A potential transition into a social intervention initiative was also hinted to by the PAP chief.
“The innovative efforts of the PAP, which are focused on bettering the lives of young people, are directly responsible for the sustainable peace that the region is currently enjoying.”