The Board of Trustees of Community Development Committees (CDCs) of the Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to increase the annual budgetary allocation to the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) to reflect the present economic realities.

The appeal by the board was made during a courtesy call on the Interim Administrator of the PAP, Major-General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd) in Abuja.

Led by its Chairman, Mr. Joseph Ambakederemo, other members on the delegation were General Charles Omoregie (rtd), Elder Timi Aya, Mr. Augustine Iyamu, Mr. Jonathan Elendu, and Mr. Charles Umukoro.

Speaking, Mr. Ambakederemo reiterated the board’s desire to synergize with the PAP to explore ways to tackle oil theft and vandalism of critical oil infrastructure in the region while they pursue the development of the Niger Delta especially through community reorientation and sensitization to change mind sets.

Mr. Ambakederemo noted what he described as “the transformation and innovations General Ndiomu has brought and introduced in the PAP to impact the lives of beneficiaries of the Programme”.

“The present realities will make managing the PAP a more difficult assignment with the foreign exchange challenge and other obligations such as the desire to establish beneficiaries to transit from stipend dependent to entrepreneurs” he added.

Receiving the visitors, General Ndiomu shared the progressive milestones of the PAP under his watch.

These according to him which include “the PAP cooperative scheme which is providing mentorship and loans to beneficiaries for business development, training and certification of pilots and engineers under the aviation resuscitation program”.

While thanking the CDC for the visit, General Ndiomu assured them that the PAP would work closely with them and other interventionist agencies in the region to impact on the Niger Delta and its people.