The Leadership of the Coalition of Niger Delta Civil Society Groups, have thrown their weight behind the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu, calling on the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to retain and extend his tenure.
The groups, which include the Niger Delta Solidarity Forum, Niger Delta Progressive Front and Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Movement, demanded that Ndiomu should be appointed substantive Chairman or the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty programme.
Speaking on behalf of the groups during a press conference in Akure, Ondo state capital, the group’s Coordinator, Comrade Bunawari Famous Doso, expressed optimism that Ndiomu will turn around PAP if his tenure is extended.
According to him, Ndiomu will achieve a lot more in the scorecard, given his passion for development and promotion of the ideals of the office, noting that a lots of achievements have been recorded during Ndiumo’s administration, which include but not limited to the Amnesty Corporative Scheme.
He said: “In our previous statements, we have articulated some of the successes of the PAP boss, not just because we have ulterior motives of getting favours but because as critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta region, we have observed for the last few years that all is not well with the Amnesty institution created by the federal government many years ago until our amiable General came on board to retool it.
“Coming from an era where the entitlements and welfare of beneficiaries of the PAP projects were bastardised on the altar of selfish interest and personal aggrandizement, General Ndiomu came like a Messiah we have all been waiting for to liberate our people from bondage who seems to be too powerful to be questioned or probed on grounds of abuse of office for personal gains.
“He shared in our people’s yearning and aspirations and gave accelerated directives on the payment of outstanding entitlements of our people which some individuals deliberately withheld for reasons best known to them for more than three years.
“He started by rallying around support from philanthropists in the country as a way of making sure some of these bright and promising ex-agitators may begin to widen the scope of their income the moment they are able to invest some of the grants that would be given to them.
” He met with the European Union delegates on how best his proposed cooperative scheme for the ex-agitator could be more fast-tracked in his bid to ensure that people are empowered beyond the scope of the monthly stipends”
He explained that as the interim administrator of PAP has been able to raise youths who have become more useful for themselves and their immediate communities.
“One thing we note with all sense of humility is that General Ndiomu is a man of large heart who understands the situation of his people and would go the extra mile to ensure no one is made to suffer for their rights.
“Even as a military officer, he was a kind person who used his office to benefit the lives of his people. We note equally from findings that his Dad who was once a military chief was a kind man, save to say that the attributes are probably hereditary.
“We are not surprised that some people are disgruntled with the man who have been working assiduously well to ensure that the people he oversees do not turn out shortchanged on what is due to them.
“This is therefore a narration to tell those who are bittered about his giant strides to follow due process, maybe, one element we need to tackle is the growing trends of misinformation among the locals. Our people have been fed with a series of campaigns of calumny capable of causing anarchy.
“One thing however that is being untold by these individuals sponsoring series of protests to tarnish the image of our leader is how they were exposed for receiving multiple monthly payments via many bank accounts. General Ndiomu came on board to expose these frauds in order to allow qualified beneficiaries access to their entitlement”.
The group however, said “Ndiomu has performed excellently well, and that is why we are all gathered here to coordinate this press conference with our own resources, and I’m sure he will be surprised to see this media endorsement we have carefully coordinated. What matters more to us is the continuation of these giant strides.
“We call on the incoming Administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to retain this man who has taken public service as indeed a call to service and he will make sure he continues to fight corruption and make the PAP saner.
“We cannot afford to have a halt in the progress of the current transformation that is greeting this programme, rather we need to advance the course of the programme”.
and then