Ijaw youths warn amnesty boss against politicizing scheme

Youths under the auspices of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, on Friday, warned the new Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Prof. Quaker Dokubo, against using his office to fund political ambitions.

They urged the Dokubo to pay attention to the core mandate of the amnesty programme particularly the educational component of the scheme.

The youths in a statement signed by the Secretary-General, IYC, Mr. Alfred Kemapado, said more than anything else, the Ijaw and other youths in the Niger Delta were in need of quality education.

Kemapado in a statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, called on Dokubo to take the programme to a new height far beyond mere payment of stipends to ex-militants.

He further appealed to the new boss to put the interests of the Ijaw and the Niger Delta ahead of his personal pursuits.

While hailing the new coordinator on his appointment, he said: “We call on him to advance the programme far beyond where he has met it. Many of us have been silent with how that office was reduced because of the hope that corrections were going to be made soon.

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“As we thank the Presidency for bringing you, a seeming competent hand, we also call on you to put the Ijaw and Niger Delta national interest ahead of your personal interest.

“We expect you to see the amnesty programme far beyond just the payment of stipends for ex-militants, but concentrate on the educational component of the amnesty programme.

“Just as the holy scriptures say that our ‘people perish for lack of knowledge’, you are expected to fund the education of our people in relevant areas alongside current global happenings and projections.

“We also call on Professor Dokubo to train more of our youths abroad for the formal and the informal sector. We expect him also to settle all outstanding fees of our students abroad and ensure our trained Seafarers and Pilots get relevant attachment.

“We also call on you to patronise more of our  Ijaw and Niger Delta service providers in the amnesty office and avoid using the office to fund political ambitions and related avarice.

“At every point in time the amnesty office must realize that, more than anything the Ijaws need quality education. We assure you of our support and prayers as you do the right thing for our people”.
 

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