By Jerome-Mario Utomi
Recently, the Interim Administrator, the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Maj. Gen. Barry Ndiomu (retd), said a total of 1,659 beneficiaries of the scheme’s scholarships are now graduates under the PAP scholarship scheme from offshore universities. In addition, the Programme has trained more than 19,000 beneficiaries in vocational skills.
Aside from stating that PAP is in partnership with 18 universities and 61 non-partnering universities onshore, Ndiomu who reportedly spoke while receiving the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, led by the Chairman, Rep. Eugene Dibiagwu, at the PAP’s Headquarters in Abuja, Ndiomu, added that 19,000 beneficiaries had been trained in vocational skills, noting that the scheme has set up a cooperative society to help nurture those who wished to be an entrepreneur among the ex-agitators.
Also heartening is the awareness that Ndiomu’s revelation is coming before the ‘dust of excitement ‘ arising from a similar Niger Delta youth development- centered news by a sister agency, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), could settle.
Dr. Sam. Ogbuku, managing director/CEO, NDDC, while speaking on the topic: NDDC; the Journey so far and the Road Ahead, at the organization’s just concluded strategic retreat held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, among other remarks, described the 24 years old interventionist agency that executed more than 7,000 projects and awarded over 2,000 scholarships for the people of Niger Delta region, adding that the agency has done a lot connecting communities and villages.
While noting that NDDC has through its development strides in the region, particularly the rural communities, discouraged urban migration, the interventionist agency observed that one of their major projects, tagged ‘Project Hope’ will create opportunities in ICT, Tech and other areas of expertise that will be transported to the other parts of the world.
Another heartening developmental news coming from NDDC that every Niger Deltan of goodwill, in the opinion of this piece, need to celebrate is the awareness that the board and management have established ten key elements of renewed hope vision. These ten critical areas comprises; building partnerships, project Hope for renewed hope, lighting up the Niger Delta region, Carbone emission reduction, sustainable livelihoods, stakeholders engagements, improved youth capacity and skills base, effective and professional workforce, efficient and cost effective projects and improved peace and security
Adding context to the discourse, the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) is an initiative created in 2009 by late President Umoru Yardua administration and backed by enabling Act, and on a mission to transform ex-agitators into entrepreneurs and/or employable citizens who will become net contributors to the economy of the region and the country through effective collaboration with relevant public and private institutions and state governments in the region.
In the same vein, the NDDC was established also by the former President Olusegun Onasanjo’s administration to offer a lasting solution to the socio-economic difficulties of the Niger Delta Region and to facilitate the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.
Now that there are visible evidence that these agencies are delivering on their statutory responsibilities and exudes greater with willingness to do more, it will elicit the question as to what is the Federal Government doing to assist these agencies clearly meet the need or solve the problems of the people of the region better than available alternatives-particularly as Niger Delta is a big region with a big challenge?
Whereas this piece is too short to spread out such demands, it is on the other hands very spaced to accommodate the expectations of these agencies (NSSC and PAP) from the Federal Government to function both prominently and efficiently.
Beginning with the NDDC, the Managing Director of the agency, Samuel Ogbuku, recently called for the removal of the commission from the Treasury Single Account of the Federal Government.
Ogbuku who stated this while receiving the Deputy Group Managing Director of the United Bank for Africa, Muyiwa Akinyemi, who paid him a courtesy visit at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, argued that the TSA policy was limiting the operation of the commission, noting that the bureaucratic structure of the TSA had hindered the effectiveness of the commission and if the commission were allowed to be autonomous, it would enhance its operation.
“The NDDC can do more, but the commission is limited by the bureaucracy of the operation of the Treasury Single Account policy and there is a need for the removal of the commission from the TSA.”
On his part, Ndiomu of PAP is of the view that turning PAP to a social intervention programme, will make the initiative most rewarding.
Speaking recently while receiving members of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs led by the Chairman, Rep. Eugene Dibiagwu, appealed to the Federal to turn PAP a social intervention programme, that would ensure that the programmes, including monthly stipend payment to ex-agitators, which gulped about 50 per cent of the annual PAP budget, would be achieved promptly.
Ndiomu, who gave a detailed account of activities since his assumption in office as the chief executive of PAP in September 2022, declared that the purse of the programme had been stretched to the limits due to the forex challenges. He said that PAP’s annual budget was N65 billion; an amount that had remained constant while the value of the naira had continued to depreciate since he assumed office.
According to him, the situation severely impacted the activities of the programme. “The job security of staff of PAP who are not civil servants by design, should be considered while implementing their request.’’
Ndiomu requested the support of the National Assembly to have an increased budgetary allocation, as the cost of local and foreign education as well as other training schemes were exorbitant.
“We are in partnership with 18 universities and 61 non-partnering universities onshore as, 1,659 students have graduated from the offshore universities of the PAP scholarship scheme. In all, more than 19,000 beneficiaries have been trained in PAP vocational skills.”
He said that he inherited a huge debt of N41 billion linked to projects in vocational trainings and empowerment programme executed from 2017 to 2019. Also inherited were vocational training centers in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Ondo states. But unfortunately, the only one which was completed and equipped at Boro Town-Kaiama in Bayelsa was vandalized and looted. There was another N14 billion debt from unpaid stipends to beneficiaries which he had since cleared. The PAP boss said that the office would require about N10 billion to rehabilitate the looted training centre.
For me as the author of this piece, these are nonpolitical issues. They are largely moral and human capital development related, and therefore, should be accorded by the Federal Government. the necessary attention that they deserve.
• Utomi Jerome-Mario, Programme Coordinator (Media and Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), writes from Lagos.