The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj-General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd), has revealed intentions to re-define the operations of the amnesty programme in consonance with global standards and protocols.
The Interim Administrator said, Nigeria’s amnesty programme as currently constituted has outlived the essence of its establishment 13 years ago, hence, the need to review and re-engineer it’s operations, cannot be over-emphasised.
More importantly, he emphasised, some elements of the amnesty intiative may not be sustainable in the light of the present economic realities of the nation.
General Ndiomu, who barred his heart in his maiden interactive and sensitization session with some ex-agitators and stakeholders held at the conference hall of PAP, Abuja, explained that, the organisation like every other organic corporate body needs constant evaluation or review from time to time.
According to the General, it is practically impossible to achieve the core mandate of the programme which includes disarmament, disbandment and reintegration, if the organisation is not rejigged for effective and efficient management paradigm.
This proposition became more necessary because the programme has entered its third phase which is reintegration, a critical stage in the entire amnesty narrative.
General Ndiomu stated that he will provide purposeful leadership by putting in place structures and institutional frameworks that will encourage institutional transparency and accountability in the interest of beneficiaries of the initiative.
The agency, he observed will open new channels of communition and interface with its target audience so as to entrench the culture of dialogue in order to protect and enhance mutually beneficial interests of both the agency and the stakeholders.
Therefore, General Ndiomu stated that it shall not be business as usual because there shall be a paradigm shift in management where set goals and monthly and quarterly deliverables will be made known to all concerned.
General Ndiomu expressed concern over the manner and attitude of both managers and some beneficiaries in the execution of the initiative.
For instance, he noted with dismay, the glaring systemic disconnect of the past wondering why no beneficiaries have exited the programme after training and empowerment for all these years.
He questioned the rational for having 30000 persons still in its enrollment after 13 years of its existence. This, he noted defies any rational logic as the the figures keep escalating beyond acceptable levels.
He intoned that this is not sustainable, adding that all the stakeholders in this matrix must make sacrifices in furtherance of the interest of the people and the government.
He said, the apparent lack of sincerity of purpose informed federal government’s directive to commence the process of winding up the programme, given the fact that the initiative was meant to last for 5 years only.
But government was magnanimous enough to extend its life span to allow for peace and harmony in the region. Even so, there must be an eventual terminal date for the programme as it obtains in other conflict regions of the world especially in South America, he offered.
General Ndiomu however, pointed out that winding down is a process that will not be terminated abruptly, so as to allow for the prevailing peace in the Niger Delta region.
May be some day, the programme may transit or metamorphose into a more robust and sustainable initiative that will take into account the special needs of the people in the face of present dynamics of the region. Just may be.
He has therefore, appealed to the delegates and stakeholders to show greater understanding as the process begins in earnest after due consultations with key stakeholders in the region.
He has equally revealed his intention to revive all the vocational centres under the management of the Programme in preparation for the future outcomes.
General Ndiomu has assured the stakeholders that efforts will be made to address the injustiacies of the past while reconciling the figures of the beneficiaries of the programme since inception.
The representatives of the various groups present at the meeting also promised to support General Ndiomu’s plans for the region as long as it is in the interest of generality of the people. They however, noted that they will take home the message and promised to give him feedback in due course.
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