Former agitators affiliated with the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have advised President Bola Tinubu not to accede to the demands of those advocating for the discontinuation of the programme.

The former agitators who made the plea in a statement issued on Sunday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State said the individuals advocating for the abolishment of the presidential amnesty programme are not from the region.

The National Spokesman of the Ex-agitator, ‘Gen’ Salvation Ibena Rufus, of the Second Phase Amnesty Ex-agitators Forum, emphasized that any genuine individual from the Niger Delta or beneficiary of the PAP would not advocate for or demand the discontinuation of the program.

Rufus further praised the interim administrator of the program, Major Gen. Barry Ndiomu (retd), acknowledging his commendable performance and recommending his confirmation by President Tinubu.

According to him, the scheme has been having it so good since Ndiomu came on board.

He said: “We are in harmony with genuine stakeholders from the region on the call for President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to confirm Maj. General Barry Tariye Ndiomu, retd, as the substantive boss of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, and we are urging these faceless characters and desperate political jobbers to leave the Presidential Amnesty helmsman alone to concentrate on his onerous task of taking the Presidential Amnesty Scheme to greater heights.

“We have it on good authority that the authors and sponsors of the calls for scrapping of the PAP are not from the Niger Delta region. Our intelligence gathering suggests that the motive behind the blistering media war chest is to compel the new government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to terminate and liquidate the Presidential Amnesty Scheme.

“No true son or daughter of Niger Delta and a beneficiary of the PAP would seek or call for the sack of Major Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu, rtd. Under his watch as an Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, a breath of fresh air has been injected Into the scheme, true beneficiaries of PAP have not had it so good in recent times.

“It is laughable, preposterous, and ludicrous that these faceless characters claimed that the sum of N2.5 billion in the coffers of the Presidential Amnesty Corporative Loan Scheme has vanished into thin air. There is no iota of truth in this unfounded allegation.

“What these uninformed and faceless characters failed to understand is that the alleged N2.5 billion was seed money to kick start the laudable initiative and so far more than 1000 delegates have benefited from the soft loan depending on what you intend to do with the money.

“The wisdom behind the Presidential Amnesty Scheme ( Beneficiaries) Cooperative Society Limited, PAPCOSOL, is to ensure that delegates and beneficiaries of the PAP initiative do not rely on N65,000 monthly stipend paid to ex–agitators till eternity. And an Advisory Board headed by an illustrious son of the region, a Rtd. Supreme Court Justice, HRM F. F Tabai, and other prominent sons and daughters of the region with impeccable records and standing are duly informed of every financial dealings as regards the corporative loan scheme.” (Sunday Telegraph)