A Niger Delta Group known as the Niger Delta Deliberators (NDD) has sent a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over the possible choice of a substantive coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) following growing concern over the rising cases of security breaches caused by the vacuum created with the suspension of Professor Quaker Dokubo in February.
The Niger Delta Deliberators (SDD), a group made of legal practitioners and beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme, put forward the name of Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, who is a seasoned administrator, Civil Activists and a Peace advocate in the region.
Others presented as possible choices are the former commander of the Defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Ebikabowei Victor-Ben known along the creeks and waterways as Boyloaf.
The Niger Delta Deliberators (NDD), in the letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, and made available to newsmen in Yengoa, argued that the vacant position of the Coordinator of Amnesty Programme should be occupied by Chief (Dr.) Nengi James-Eriworio.
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In the letter, the President General and Secretary of the group, Barr. Okorodas Kenneth and Barr. Daubriyaibo Epebiyeri, declared that the recommendation of Chief James-Eriworio came as a result of the body’s wide spread consultation with its members across the entire Niger Delta States and stakeholders in the Niger Delta.
According to the group, “there is the need to quickly appoint a substantive Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Program to ensure a proper coordination of the Presidential Amnesty Program that will bring about the much desired peace and development in the Niger Delta in line with the law establishing the Presidential Amnesty programme”.
“Chief Nengi James is a graduate of Public Administration, University of Port Harcourt. Nengi James has contributed to commentaries and articles on local and national issues of public Interest on both local and national media. His areas of interest include Environment, Human Capacity Building, Development and Peace Advocacy.As a custodian of the culture and traditions of the Nembe, Ijaw cum Niger Delta people, he took after his Late Father Chief Eriworio Full James Gam-Dede who was an Oral Traditional Historian and Custodian of the Native Culture and Custom of the Nembe-Niger Delta People”
Another group, Progressive Mandate, led Comrade Joseph Jojo, noted that following the worry expressed by the members of the Bayelsa Federal House of Representative Caucus led by Hon.Preye Influence Oseke on the rising civil disobedience by ex- militant due to the vacuum in the Presidential Amnesty Leadership, there is need to appoint a competent and dependable founding father of the programme in Ebikabowei Victor-Ben known as Boyloaf.
According to the group, Progressive Mandate, Boyloaf is among the leading ex-militant leaders in the Niger Delta region that participated in the painful struggle that has led to the peace being enjoyed in the region, ”we are aware of plots and counter plots on the choice of who to become the substantive coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to use his elderly wisdom and appoint one of the founding fathers of the programme to ensure stability and progress in the programme.”
