The Ijaw Political Watchdog (IPWD) on Monday called on the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) not to gamble with the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) saying the Programme holds the key for enduring peace in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.
In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Paul Akpowaide, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Monday, the Ijaw Political Watchdog raised objection to the composition of the proposed Interim Committee for the PAP concluding that “names from the interim committee is telling Niger Delta to go back to the creek again”.
“Mr President, Buhari Muhammadu should understand that Niger Delta Amnesty programmes is not meant for the northerners . Things must be done in an appropriate form”, the Ijaw group stated.
“Our demands from the Niger Delta is to appoint an Ijaw man immediately into the office as the new Amnesty coordinator of programmes in Niger Delta regions”, the group further said.
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The Ijaw group’s statement read in part:
“Mr President you can’t gamble with Amnesty programmes because many lives were lost during the struggle ,as we are Speaking the souls of those lives are also hearing what is happening with the Amnesty programmes and we are not pleased with you if you change the original plans of the Amnesty programmes.
“Mr President do the needful or else oil sectors will not have peace in Niger Delta regions.The creek will going to boil back if you constituted an interim committee from the north to pilot the affairs of the Amnesty programmes which is meant for the Niger Delta regions .
“That is not the original plans for the Amnesty programmes from the former president of Nigeria late H.E Umaru Musa Yar’adua for the Niger Delta regions to lay down their arms and ammunitions after several consultation since 2009 and also former president of Nigeria H.E Dr Jonathan Goodluck Ebele continues from the process and it was not change from the original plans . Anything outside of this ,is another crisis for the Niger Delta regions in the oil sectors .
“This is not a political office mr President Buhari Muhammadu , you must know as the number one citizen of this country .
“Niger Delta have competent and dynamic Ijaw leaders to handle the office of the presidential Amnesty programmes smoothly for boys in the creek.The Amnesty programmes is strictly for the boys in the creek in Niger Delta, not for the northerners .
“It is a kindly piece of Advice to our amiable H.E president Buhari Muhammadu the ground commander of federal republic of Nigeria to immediately appoint someone from the Niger Delta Ijaw strictly in order to avert this monster that is about to befall the oil sectors in Niger Delta regions and Nigeria at Large.”
