Former Militants under the Platform of Ex-Agitators’ Leadership Forum (EALF), Bayelsa State Chapter on Monday appealed to Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), to extend his investigation of financial misappropriation to the office of the presidential amnesty programme (PAP).

In an open letter to the president, titled ‘ Why the presidential amnesty programme should be next in the house cleaning, the chairman of the forum, Charles James Kurobo, said while officials of PAP flourish in wealth, ex-agitators leaders and delegates are wallowing in abject poverty and total neglect.

He maintained that the call for the probe became necessary because of the fact that the PAP office still collects money for the over three thousand ex-agitators that have been delisted from its data, non-payment of contracts awarded by the PAP office and leaving students of various training centres stranded after specific training among others.

The letter read ” Mr President, as the chairman of EALF, Bayelsa State chapter, our group discovered that the same reasons youths of the region took up arms against the Federal Government are still being meted out to us.

“Our appeal to you is to avail us of your alliance and foster the continued peace currently enjoyed by the people and stakeholders of the Niger Delta region and the nation at large which we know for a fact that a good majority want the region to remain that way but the PAP office has been acting otherwise.

“The PAP office is no longer interested in its primary mandate of diligently executing some components of the PAP but constantly initiating large robust projects/programmes to attract huge funding from the presidency with no physical evidence.

“Your ‘renewed hope’ agenda has indeed given us hope for a future we have already envisaged because we believe in your leadership qualities and we pray that you consider the PAP in your house cleaning exercise just as you have started with the subsidy removal and the CBN.

“The PAP, from all indications, has lost focus from its original mandate for which it was established.

“Mr President, there is an urgent need for a thorough review of the PAP activities as very little has been achieved in terms of training, empowerment and reintegration as designed by the programme from inception.

“Slots meant for leaders and delegates who were fortunately trained in various fields to fill up some vacuums in the international oil companies (IOCs) and other aspects of economic reintegration in the region are left stranded with some running from pillar to post every calendar year in a bid to make annual returns to FIRS.

“Multi-national oil companies operating in our communities deny us access. Federal government Ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), parastatals and organisations of the federal and state governments have little or no regard for us due to the PAP’s continued neglect of part of its primary mandate to ensure total reintegration of ex-agitators into the larger society.

“While the PAP office and its officials flourish, the ex-agitators, leaders and delegates wallow in abject poverty and total neglect.

“May it please you, Mr President, to consider and embrace the spirit that resonates in us as you lead us through our collective efforts towards a prospective, progressive and unified era?

“Please accept my heartfelt congratulation on your landslide victory seen to be orchestrated by divine will. Best wishes for your success as you have taken up the responsibility of restoring our status as the giant of Africa, not just in size but in strength, unity and stability,” the open letter read. (New Telegraph)

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