A stakeholder in the Niger Delta has urged President Bola
Ahmed Tinubu to hike the budgetary provisions for the Presidential Amnesty Programme to enable it to perform.
The President has equally been called upon to ensure speedy release of funds for the agency to enable it work in line with the dreams of the founding fathers of the amnesty programme.
In a statement in Port Harcourt on Thursday by a former freedom fighter in the Niger Delta who is also the Founder, Pastor Reuben Initiative for Good Leadership and Accountability, Reuben Wilson, said without adequate funds, the new management would fail.
Wilson, who is also the South South coordinator of The Asiwaju Group, TAG, lamented that since the establishment of the agency, budgetary provisions by the federal government for training and welfare of beneficiaries had remained the same.
According to him: “The annual budget of the Presidential Amnesty Programme with respect to the training and welfare of the beneficiaries has remained the same from the beginning of the programme in 2009 to date, irrespective of the current high cost of living and training of the beneficiaries.
“The upward review of the annual budget of the PAP is long overdue and it’s greatly hindering the proper and effective execution of the objectives of the programme.
“There’s therefore an urgent need for an upward review of the budget, especially now that we have a sincere, competent and critical stakeholder as the administrator of the programme.”
Wilson who has been on the forefront of campaigns for the appointment of someone who was conversant with the ideals and objectives of the PAP commended Tinubu for hearkening to the voice of reason and bringing Dennis Otuaro on board to run the agency.
Saying that the new PAP coordinator was the best person to sit over the affairs of the PAP in times like this, he however expressed the concern that if the government did not give him adequate funds, he would not be able to perform optimally.
He said: “I know that he has the capacity to unite all the beneficiaries and critical stakeholders of the programme, owing to his level of competent leadership and experience in the Niger Delta struggle.
“I’m therefore appealing that Mr President should upwardly review the annual budget of the programme and bring it up to speed with the current realities to enable the new administrator to effectively reposition the programme for better results.
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“Otuaro has been part of the struggle for the survival of the Niger Delta people from the beginning and therefore knows what to do to revitalise and reposition the Presidential Amnesty Programme, if given the right financial resources.
“He is adequately prepared and has the requisite experience and knowledge to successfully pilot the affairs of the Presidential Amnesty office to greater heights.”
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