Traditional rulers and elders from the Niger Delta have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over the alleged rising cases of fraud and diversion of funds under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PSP) presided over by the Interim Coordinator, Major General Tariye Ndiomu (rtd.).

Among the allegations raised in the petition addressed to President Buhari and the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.) and dated 7^thof February 2023, were cases of alleged forgery of the late Professor Charles Dokubo’s signature to back dates of contracts award letters for purported to contractors.

They also accused him of alleged forgery of the former late amnesty boss, Charles Dokubo’s signature to back date contract award letters for payments to some persons within the presidency, including the President’s Nephew Mamman Daura, to fulfil his pledge of N5 billion as returns for his appointment as Amnesty Boss.”

The traditional rulers including ex-militants, youths and women under the aegis of the Coalition of Ex-Militant Leaders, and led by former General Boma Inewariku, Gabriel Atumani Victor and James Ebiaredei Collins, claimed that there was the need for the suspension of Ndiomu (rtd) to allow for proper investigations into the alleged forgery.

In the petition, the group also claimed that, “For his continuous involvement with top Amnesty officials in multiple cases of alleged open public funds embezzlement, fraud and corruption with his cohorts and the brazen demand for returns for their appointment into top offices at the Amnesty office is mind-boggling, disgusting and disheartening.

“It should be shown that our public offices are not for sale. And that appointment into the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) should be on merit and service to the people of the Niger Delta region.

“Therefore, as stakeholders from the Niger Delta region and owners of the PAP, we cannot continue to remain silent as our resources are continually been siphoned by corrupt individuals.

“Since the appointment of the present administration into the Presidential Amnesty office, not a single PAP beneficiary or anyone from the Niger Delta region has been deployed for training or empowered.”

“Our children are not trained and empowered, and worst still, Ndiomu continues to delist our people from the Amnesty programme in order to divert their legitimate payments for himself and his aides, knowing that his tenure expires in about 22 days (1^stMarch 2023). (THISDAY)