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Why Presidential Amnesty Programme’s Budget Should Be Reviewed Upward – IYC
Published
11 months agoon
By
Editor
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has called on the Federal Government to approve more funds for the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) to enable it perform optimally for sustainable peace of the Niger Delta.
The IYC President, Jonathan Lokpobiri, made the call while speaking with journalists shortly after he led a delegation of the council on a courtesy visit to the Administrator of PAP, Dr Dennis Otuaro in Abuja.
A statement signed by the spokesperson for the IYC, Princewill Binebai and made available to newsmen on Wednesday, quoted Lokpobiri as stating that the scope of the PAP was expanding and should no longer be run with its current budget which had remained the same for many years.
The umbrella body of ijaw youths noted that the programme still had a lot to do to ensure continued stabilisation of the region.
READ ALSO: Ijaw Youths Network Warns Detractors To Leave PAP Boss Alone
The group also argued that the present economic realities in Nigeria and emerging challenges in the region have made it even more compelling for more funds to be appropriated for the programme.
The council, while stating that it discovered after a careful assessment of the programme that the Dollar was exchanging for N120 when the PAP started, added that there were sufficient justifiable reasons for the government to consider strengthening the programme with additional funds.
The Ijaw youths appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Ministers of Budget and Finance as well as the leadership of the National Assembly to see the need to make more funds available for the programme.
The statement read in part, “As Ijaw Youth Council, we have done a careful assessment of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and the massive achievements that the programme has recorded over the years.
READ ALSO: PAP: Remain Focused; Don’t Be Distracted By Nay Sayers, Sen. Manager Tells Otuaro
“However, our assessment showed that the Programme can no longer run effectively with its current budget because when it was conceived, the dollar was exchanging for N120.
“Today, this same Programme is still being run with the same budgetary provision of N65bn for a whole year. Currently, the dollar is exchanging for N1,700 and the funding of the programme has remained stagnant while the needs of the Programme are expanding.
“We, as council, want to passionately appeal to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Budget, the National Assembly, the Senate President and the leadership of the National Assembly to work together to improve the funding of the programme.
“There is so much that is expected from this programme because if the Niger Delta fails, Nigeria will pay more. The PAP is at the driver’s seat of sustaining the peace in the Niger Delta. So the need to expand this Programme to accommodate more people is very important at this point in time.”
Lokpobiri commended Otuaro for repositioning the PAP and “bringing the programme back to our people in the Niger Delta”.
READ ALSO: PAP: N’Delta Groups Knock Boyloaf Secretary, Gbaboyor, Over Attack On Otuaro, Tompolo
While stressing that the administrator’s leadership role and his policy of inclusion had engendered stability in the region, Lokpobiri assured the PAP boss of the support of IYC and also thanked him for identifying with the youth body.
Responding in the statement, Otuaro reiterated his commitment to serving the people of the Niger Delta wholeheartedly as he knew the task ahead of him upon his appointment.
The PAP boss reassured the Ijaw youths that the programme was in safe hands.
He said the PAP was at the reintegration phase which he described as critical in the implementation of the programme’s objectives, adding that his leadership understood the vital roles of stakeholders towards the sustainable peace, security and stability of the region.
While thanking the IYC for the visit, Otuaro said, “When I came into office, I knew the task ahead. I also know the roles of the Ijaw National Congress, IYC, our women and other organisations. That is why I usually say that this programme is in safe hands. This job is about our people. The office, under my leadership, also takes stakeholders engagement seriously.”
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News
Nigerian Don Bags US Varsity Elite Research Fellowship
Published
3 hours agoon
September 5, 2025By
Editor
A Nigerian scholar, Raphael Ebiefung, has been awarded the prestigious Grace Jordan McFadden Professor Programme Fellowship at the University of South Carolina.
A statement issued by the Institution noted that the “highly competitive fellowship” recognises academic leaders who advance knowledge and address pressing social challenges.
Ebiefung, a doctoral researcher and a one-time assistant lecturer and librarian at Top-Faith University, Nigeria, who specialises in human-AI interaction and information behaviour, is expected to join “an elite group of scholars shaping the future of higher education and interdisciplinary inquiry,” the University said.
Ebiefung, in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Friday, described the award as a “milestone that underscores Nigeria’s capacity to produce world-class scholars.”
READ ALSO:NUPENG Tanker Drivers Announce Strike Over CNG Trucks Dispute
He said, “I am deeply honoured to receive the Grace Jordan McFadden Fellowship. It is a testament to the resilience and potential of young Nigerian academics striving to make a global impact.
“My research seeks to understand the dynamics of human behaviour in relation to AI systems. This area is critical as we move deeper into the digital age,” he explained.
Nigerian scholars have continued to leave an impressive intellectual footprint across the world.
The PUNCH reported how, in August, a Nigerian scientist, Deborah Agbakwuru, was awarded the prestigious Besancon scholarship at the University of Montana.
READ ALSO:Danish Court Sentences Ex-minister To Prison For Child Abuse Material
The scholarship is one of the most distinguished graduate recognitions at the university and is awarded annually to an outstanding researcher in the biological, physical, and mathematical sciences.
Similarly, Nigerian-born researcher, Peter Ngene, won a €2m grant from the European Research Council for his project in 2024.
Ngene, an associate professor at the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, was among seven researchers from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, who won the grant. According to a statement by his university, Ngene’s work focused on the “interface-mediated fast ionic conductivity in nanocomposite solid-state electrolytes.”
He said the goal was to unravel the reason why the ionic conductivity of certain solids can increase or decrease by thousands of fold at their interface with other solids.
News
NBA Drags IGP Egbetokun To Court Over Tinted Glass Permit Policy
Published
4 hours agoon
September 5, 2025By
Editor
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has filed a lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, challenging the legality of the Nigeria Police Force’s tinted glass permit policy.
The lawsuit, instituted on Wednesday, September 2, 2025, before the Federal High Court in Abuja, comes months after the IGP introduced a directive requiring motorists to apply for and renew tinted glass permits annually through a digital platform, for a fee.
In a statement released Friday, the NBA described the policy as unlawful, unconstitutional, and lacking transparency. It also raised concerns that proceeds from the exercise were being paid into a private account rather than the Federation Account.
“Despite the extension of enforcement to October 2, 2025, several motorists have reported harassment and extortion by policemen at checkpoints on the basis of this policy,” the association said, warning that it infringes on citizens’ rights to privacy, freedom of movement, and dignity.
READ ALSO:Ex-gov Ohakim, IGP, Others Win Fundamental Rights Suit
The NBA also questioned the validity of the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991, a military-era law under which the police has anchored the policy, stressing that it may not meet constitutional tests required in a democratic society.
The action was filed by the NBA’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), led by Prof. Paul Ananaba (SAN) and Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun (SAN). The association vowed to pursue the case “to a logical conclusion.”
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION CHALLENGES THE LEGALITY OF THE POLICE TINTED GLASS PERMIT POLICY OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE
One of the key resolutions of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Bar Association at its pre-conference NEC meeting held on the 23rd day of August 2025 in Enugu is that the NBA should challenge the legality of the Nigeria Police Force tinted permit policy in court.
READ ALSO:IGP Launches Safe School Initiative In Bauchi
In April 2025, the Inspector General of Police purportedly introduced a policy which mandated members of the Nigerian motoring public to apply for and obtain annual motor tinted glass permits from the Nigeria Police Force for a fee. The Inspector General of Police in the same month purportedly launched a digital portal (http://possap.gov.ng) through which the application for tinted glass permits were to be processed. We are being informed that the portal and the policy are to be managed by a private vendor, and there is no indication that the funds generated from the enforcement of the purported policy will go into the Federation Account.
The Inspector General of Police initially pegged the date of commencement of the enforcement of the Policy to the 1st day of June 2025, but subsequently extended the date to the 2nd day of October 2025.
Despite the fact that the date of commencement of the enforcement of the purported policy has been extended to the 2nd day of October 2025, there have been several reported cases of harassment and extortion of citizens by the Policemen in checkpoint duty on the basis of this same Policy, thus raising serious concerns of threats to and violation of citizens’ fundamental rights to dignity of human person, right to privacy, right to freedom of movement and the right to own movable property guaranteed as by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.
Furthermore, the introduction and proposed enforcement of the tinted glass permit Policy has raised several other genuine concerns, including the validity of the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act (Decree 1991), a military-era law under which the Police has sought refuge. A critical scrutiny of the Act would confirm concerns that the legislation may be unable to satisfy the test of a law reasonably justifiable in a democratic society under Section 45 of the 1999 Constitution as to justify reliance on it to deprive citizens of their rights to privacy and free movement.
READ ALSO:NCAA Petitions IGP Over KWAM 1’s Unruly Conduct In Abuja Airport
Moreover, the fact that the legislation does not make provision for renewal of tinted glass permits or payment of fees for renewal are serious issues which clearly reveal that the Policy lacks statutory foundation.
Furthermore, that payment for the permit is being made into a private account: PARKWAY PROJECTS Account No: 4001017918 raises serious concerns of transparency surrounding the utilisation of funds realised from the exercise, given that the account is neither domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria nor associated with the Treasury Single Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Against the above backdrop, the Nigerian Bar Association, through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) has on Wednesday the 2nd September 2025 instituted a public interest action before the Federal High Court, Abuja in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/182/2025 between: The Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association v. The Inspector General of Police & Anor essentially challenging the legality of the tinted glass permit policy.
The NBA-SPIDEL, under the leadership of its Transition Committee Chairman, Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN and the Section’s Public Interest Litigation Committee, chaired by Mr. Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun, SAN, whose proactive efforts were responsible for the accomplishment of this task, have been directed to pursue this litigation to a logical conclusion.
News
Peju Ogunmola’s Family Breaks Silence On Cause Of Son’s Death
Published
5 hours agoon
September 5, 2025By
Editor
The family of veteran actress, Peju Ogunmola, has spoken out for the first time following the passing of the actress’ only son, Sola Ayomikun Omobolanle, dismissing rumours about the circumstances of his death.
Tribune Online reports that Ayomikun, the 24-year-old son of Ogunmola and her husband, comic actor Sunday Omobolanle, popularly known as Aluwe, died on September 2, 2025.
Shortly after the news broke, unverified reports surfaced online alleging that his death was linked to a bathroom accident — claims the family has now categorically denied.
In a statement signed by Yemi Amodu on behalf of the Ogunmola family, they clarified that Ayomikun passed away in a hospital in Ibadan after a brief illness, not from any accident.
READ ALSO:Veteran Actress, Peju Ogunmola, Loses Only Child
The statement read: “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved son, Sola Ayomikun Omobolanle, a jewel, a precious child, and a rising star whose light shone brightly and touched many lives.
“We wish to clearly state that Sola did not pass away as a result of any bathroom accident, contrary to false reports being circulated online. He was briefly unwell and, during this period, received first-class medical care. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, he peacefully answered the call of his Creator.”
The family further condemned the speculation surrounding his death, describing it as painful and disrespectful.
READ ALSO:The Only celebrity I Have Ever Had A Crush Is Davido – Peju Johnson
“These misleading stories, suggesting that Sola died from a fall in the bathroom without help, are entirely false. They not only dishonour his memory but also bring unnecessary pain to his loved ones,” the statement added.
According to the family, Ayomikun has since been laid to rest at Eternal Rest Home in Ibadan, surrounded by relatives and close friends.
They also expressed appreciation for the support received during their period of mourning:
“At this time of grief, we are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support we have received from family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. Your kindness has been a source of strength and comfort. We pray that no family will ever have to endure the pain of untimely loss. May the Almighty grant Sola eternal rest and grant us all the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
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