TheCable

Edwin Clark, prominent Ijaw leader, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint someone to preside over the amnesty programme of the Niger Delta ex-militants.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the elder statesman said the vacuum in the office of chairman of the programme is affecting lot of things in the region.

Clark said he had it on good authority that Kingsley Kuku, chairman of the presidential amnesty programme in the last administration, left about N5 billion in the account of the body before leaving office as a result of the change in government.

“I wish to bring to the attention of Mr. President the imminent danger facing the amnesty programme,” he said.

“From my investigation, I’m reliably informed that lack of funds is not the problem, but the authority to operate the account.

“I’m also reliably informed that there is an amount of N5.3bn left for the execution of the amnesty programme.

“The former chairman of the programme has not been replaced by an appointee even in acting capacity by Mr. President, and as a result, the whole programme for now is without leadership, and no one has the authority to operate the account of the amnesty programme.

“I have received series of delegates from our people on the same matter and I have appealed to them to remain calm and continue to maintain the peace.”

Clark also appealed to the president not to neglect the Niger Delta in his administration.

Meanwhile, an Ijaw leader and two beneficiaries of the amnesty programme have urged Buhari to assist in the payment of their school fees.

They told NAN in Lagos on Thursday that the non-payment of the fees would lead to the ejection of over 3,000 beneficiaries of the programme from various institutions abroad.

Regent Youmor, adviser of the Lagos chapter of the Ijaw national congress, said some beneficiaries of the programme returned to the country on Wednesday following ejection from their schools.

“They were ejected from their various schools due to the non-payment of their school fees,” he said.

“This is an appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari that the amnesty programme seems to be technically grounded due to the non-payment of the students’ school fees.

“Our students have been ejected from their schools abroad because of lack of payment of fees as there is no officer to release funds at the amnesty office.

“The president should address the issue of amnesty and get the funds released to let these students go back to their schools.”

Youmor said the beneficiaries were sent back from various schools in Italy, Germany and the United States.

He added that thousands of indigent students in various universities in the country were also affected, warning that the refusal to continue with the programme could have negative effect on the country.

“We all know the implications of the stoppage of the programme,” he said.

“We all know the effects it will have on our economy. Our boys will go back to agitate and we do not want this to happen.’’

Though he has revoked pipeline protection contracts awarded to ex-militants, Buhari is yet to unveil his policy on the initiative introduced by the administration of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.