Ijaw Youths to Tinubu: Ignore Calls to Scrap Amnesty Programme

• Ijaw Youths Network urges President Tinubu to ignore calls to abolish the Presidential Amnesty Programme, emphasizing its role in peace
• IYN criticizes allegations of PAP corruption, advocating for unity and development in the Niger Delta to prevent distractions

The Ijaw Youths Network (IYN) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disregard calls to abolish the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

In a statement on Sunday, IYN President Frank Ebikabo and Secretary Federal Ebiaridor criticized those advocating for the program’s termination, suggesting they are uncomfortable with the peace and stability in the Niger Delta. They described the calls as attempts to distract the new PAP leadership and argued that such proposals do not merit serious consideration.

The group responded to Frank Tietie’s recent allegations of corruption within the PAP. They urged the current leadership to remain focused on their mission, ensuring peace and fostering an environment conducive to economic growth in the region.

“We are not here to highlight inter-ethnic conflicts in the Niger Delta, but we must condemn using ethnicity as a pretext to attack the PAP. Our region needs unity and collaborative efforts for development. We’ve endured too much suffering and cannot afford distractions that hinder our progress,” the group stated.

They criticized Tietie for focusing on the N500 billion spent on the PAP without mentioning the funds allocated to the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The group questioned why these bodies weren’t also called out for corruption if financial mismanagement was the criterion for agency survival.

The IYN recalled that during the peak of the armed struggle, before the 2009 amnesty proclamation, those are now calling for the program’s abolition labelled the ex-agitators and their Ijaw ethnic group as troublemakers. However, Nigerians outside the region recognized the underdevelopment and frustration in the oil-producing areas, which fueled deep resentment.

They emphasized that the federal government did not declare a selective amnesty based on ethnicity. The 30,000 ex-agitators in the program were not chosen for their language. “Mr. Tietie can consult his kinsman, General Lucky Aralile (rtd.), the pioneer head of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, to understand the inclusive nature of the initiative,” the group concluded.