Joseph Ambakederimo, Convener of the South-South Reawakening Group and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Community Development Committees in Niger Delta’s Oil and Gas Producing Areas lead a rallying call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support Major General Barry Ndiomu (Retd) in securing his confirmation as the dedicated Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Program.
In a statement shared with Oghwoghwa Reporters, Ambakederimo expressed unwavering confidence in Ndiomu’s capacity to elevate and expand the transformative prospects for former agitators, significantly impacting society. He urges regional stakeholders to unite in backing Ndiomu, recognizing the critical importance of his role and advocating for his confirmation.
Ambakederimo highlights Ndiomu’s achievements and urges President Tinubu for his confirmation due to overdue recognition. In his words, “The innovative strides that have been brought to the management of the Amnesty programme by General Barry Tariye Ndiomu are the distinction necessary for his confirmation as the substantive Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, which is long overdue. There must be a reward for those who have excelled in their areas of endeavor. General Barry Ndiomu (Retd.) has achieved successes that should be rewarded, and the reward is for President Bola Tinubu to confirm him as the Substantive Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
“No doubt, there have been successes recorded so far under the leadership of General Barry Ndiomu. Some of these include the establishment of the Presidential Amnesty Cooperative Society Fund, headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Tabai. This fund serves as a buffer for post-Amnesty livelihood. It may interest Nigerians to know that the Interim Administrator, General Barry Ndiomu, is not a signatory to the account of the fund. There is a funding mechanism for a robust management of the reintegration portion of the programme, which is the most critical part and is also viewed by many as a masterstroke. Other achievements made in a short period include the restructured and timely payment of scholarships to beneficiaries, the continued training of participants in core areas of need, among others. These confirm that the retired General is well-equipped to deliver as expected, he averred.
“This appeal to President Bola Tinubu is coming at a time when the policies he has initiated should be pursued and followed through for continuity. The incessant change of leadership has adversely impacted the programme, which would have made tremendous gains in the past before the advent of General Barry Ndiomu. Therefore, it is the opinion of the Board of Trustees and Management of the Community Development Committees of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas that there should be less political interference in the management of this laudable programme for the innovations brought under the current leadership, headed by General Barry Ndiomu, to crystallize.
“Nigerians should be reminded that the issues that gave birth to the Amnesty programme still stare us in the face. Although the very critical issue of armed struggle has been eliminated, many demobilized persons have acquired various skills, and others have become graduates in diverse fields of endeavor. The reintegration portion of the programme is what is in focus and should be followed through to its logical conclusion. Therefore, the political will and support from the Federal government are needed for the current leadership to sustain the drive for reintegration, which is the focus of General Barry Ndiomu, Retd.
“Moving forward, we will use this opportunity to call for increased funding of the programme to allow for an upward review of the payment of the stipend to participants of the programme due to the current global economic realities, to which Nigeria is not immune. Additionally, adequate funding for the various laudable policies and programmes that will be implementable and concretized is necessary”, Ambakederimo further advocated.
Joseph Ambakederimo,
Convener South South Reawakening Group /Chairman Board of Trustees Community Development Committees of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas.
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