Niger Delta Amnesty Programme: Ordeals of the recipients

We had high hope of graduating from the Niger Delta Amnesty programme but it turned out our ordeal than the good life we had expected it would offer.

Pending school fees of students with Canadian University of Dubai were not offset by the then Paul Boroh administration of the Amnesty Programme.

We wrote several emails to his office but to no avail. When this did not yield, we resolved to call for his removal from office, and eventually he was removed from his position by the government of President  Mohammadu Buhari.

Not even the new Amnesty Programme chairman, Professor Charles Dukubo could solve our plight since December last year. We even want Buhari to also do the needful on Dukubo, for his recalcitrance to heed to our plea in resolving our ordeal.

Instead of focusing on the agenda which formed the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme — to give life to the once agitators and youths — sadly, the programme has turned to nepotism, where those at the helm of affairs see the programme as an avenue to award contracts to their cronies.

However, we would not have any option than to stage a protest across the country to send our message across to the authorities if this issue is not resolved. We are earnestly tired of all the dissatisfaction and disappointment from this programme.

One wouldn’t know if it is because the office of Niger Delta Amnesty programme is in Abuja, that’s the reason the authorities concerned are lame-duck to hearken to the perils of the youths affected. If this is the case, it’ll not be a bad idea to relocate the office to a state in Niger Delta.

We throw this ball in the court of the Senate and House of Reps. If this is done, it will no doubt bring the programme  closer to the people it’s meant for.

Sunny Timothy contributed this piece from Niger Delta.