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Presidential Amnesty Programme Needs Adequate Funding, Says Bayelsa Gov, Diri

Published

7 months ago

November 1, 2024

Editor

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State says funding is critical for the success of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

Diri also stressed that PAP was not a gift to the Niger Delta region but was deliberately designed to bring some form of succor to the abandoned oil rich region.

“I want my brothers from other states to recognise that the amnesty programme was not a gift to the Niger Delta but to bring succour to a people that had been abandoned,” he added.

Governor Diri spoke on Friday when he received the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, and his delegation in Government House, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The governor stressed that funding was critical for the survival of the programme.

He advocated the need for state governments and National Assembly members from the Niger Delta to collaborate towards addressing the funding challenges of the PAP.

He said: “There is no place that will survive without funds. These are some of the issues that we as governors can also support in ensuring that our National Assembly members make the contacts and synergise so that these issues will not be left for you alone to handle.”

He advised Dr Otuaro to build linkages across relevant state governments within the region so as to ensure that the programme made a meaningful impact.

He noted that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) also faces similar challenges, which had affected its activities.

The Bayelsa governor cautioned against the call for the scrapping of the programme, saying the issues that led to its establishment have not been addressed.

According to him, despite the transition to renewable energy, crude oil production still plays a vital role in the nation’s economy and advocates for continuation of the programme.

Diri, while recalling a brief history of the armed struggle of the Ijaw people from the days of Jasper Adaka Boro, stressed the critical place of the PAP in the region.

“The ljaws, for long, have been suffocated in a structure that they had given their all in terms of human and natural resources. Over the years, there has been a long cry of neglect and underdevelopment.

“The initial armed struggle in Ijawland basically fought for justice and development. The community called Oloibiri in Bayelsa State, where crude oil was first struck in commercial quantities in 1956, is now a shadow of itself. Nothing was ploughed back into Oloibiri that brought out all the trillions of naira for Nigeria.”

While commending the previous administrators of the programme for creating training centres across the region, the governor decried the vandalism at the training centre in Kaiama in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state and urged Otuaro to revamp it.

In his remarks, the PAP Administrator requested the support of the state government in the area of funding for its training programmes.

Otuaro said the programme was at the rehabilitation and reintegration stage, adding that there was a need to consult with all relevant stakeholders to ensure its success.

He noted that from 2014, funding for the programme was reduced by half while its scope was expanding, particularly when it had about 1,681 students in tertiary institutions in the country and 38 students studying abroad.

Otuaro also disclosed that 98 maritime cadets have just been deployed within the country, stressing that there was a need to expand the programme to accommodate women stakeholders that are business-oriented.

He applauded Senator Diri for his administration’s efforts in ensuring that Bayelsa remains peaceful, adding that Ijaw people were happy with the prevailing peace and security as Bayelsa is the homogenous state for all ljaws.

News

Immigration Officer Gets N5m For Arresting Fleeing Ritualist

Published

6 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

An immigration officer, Ugochukwu Orji, who arrested a fleeing Enugu State-based native doctor accused of killing and kidnapping people for rituals, has been rewarded with N5 million for his efforts by an industrialist, Ebuka Onunkwo.

Onunkwo, who is also a senatorial aspirant for the Anambra South senatorial by-election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, hosted the immigration officer at his residence in Ihembosi, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, according to a press statement released by his media team on Tuesday.

Orji was at his duty post along the Seme Border area last month when the fleeing native doctor, popularly known as “Ichie Billion” attempted to use a motorcycle to cross over to the Benin Republic from Nigeria at Seme Border, but having seen his face on the internet, he quickly intercepted him.

Recall that “Ichie Billion”, who hails from Umuojor village in the Isiagu Community of Enugu State, had been on the run after being declared wanted by the Nigerian Police Force in connection with the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl and alleged multiple ritual killings.

The native doctor was thereafter intercepted by the Nigerian Immigration Service and subsequently handed over to the Lagos State Police Command following his arrest at the border by the immigration officers.

Onunkwo, an industrialist, while presenting a cheque of ₦5 million to the immigration officer at his residence, said the gesture was part of his company’s Corporate Social Responsibility and encouragement for moral renaissance in the society.

News

Tariff Hikes Won’t Solve Nigeria’s Power Crisis, Expert Tells Tinubu

Published

6 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

Attempts by the current administration to rely on increased electricity tariffs to resolve Nigeria’s chronic power supply issues are unlikely to succeed, according to energy expert Nick Agu.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Agu argued for a fundamental restructuring of the power sector, prioritising infrastructure over tariff hikes.

Responding to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu’s optimism and recent celebration of Nigeria reaching a new peak generation of over 5,000 megawatts, Agu acknowledged the incremental increase as “a good thing, is good news.”

However, he quickly added, “But should we celebrate? The answer is probably not.”

Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

He noted that while Nigeria, with over 200 million people, struggles with around 5,000 megawatts, South Africa (65 million people) boasts 55,000 megawatts, Brazil (200 million people) supplies 150,000 megawatts, and even Qatar (3 million people) provides 8,000 megawatts.

“So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

“So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

News

From 158 To 351: Lagos Teen Excels In UTME After Initial Glitch

Published

7 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

A 16-year-old student, Oyindamola Apampa, has achieved a remarkable aggregate score of 351 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, with 65 in English Language, 98 in Mathematics, 98 in Physics, and 90 in Chemistry.

Apampa, a student of Lagoon Secondary School in Lagos, described the feat as the result of determination, strategic preparation, and divine favour.

A statement on Tuesday revealed that it was her second attempt at the UTME, explaining that her initial score of 158 was later invalidated due to technical issues experienced at her exam centre.

She said, “In my first UTME attempt, I scored 158. However, the results were widely criticised and later acknowledged by the authorities as inaccurate due to technical glitches affecting several examination centres, including mine.

“Consequently, the examination body authorised a resit to address these irregularities. In the resit, I achieved a score of 351.”

She added that her parents played a crucial role in supporting her academic journey by fostering a learning-friendly environment at home.

“My parents made our home a positive place for studying. We have a full library in the family living room, in addition to a separate multimedia study room where the whole family often gets together to talk about different topics and help each other learn,” she shared.

Apampa also credited a learning centre in Lekki, Lagos, for providing her with additional academic support through UTME preparation classes and frequent mock examinations.

“The frequent mock exams at our learning centre were a great help in my preparation for UTME,” she said.

In his reaction to the learning centre head, Osayi Izedonmwen, stellar 98 per cent pass rate in the 2025 UTME, attributed the achievement to its hybrid learning approach.

“At Teesas, we are fully IT-equipped to seamlessly support both online and physical learning within a convenient and friendly environment. This has played a key role in helping our students excel,” Izedonmwen stated.

Apampa is no stranger to academic excellence. She was placed on her school’s Honours list after securing 10 As and one B in her Junior WAEC.

She has also represented her school in international competitions, such as the Conrad Challenge, where her team reached the final stage and earned a special mention.