WARRI—THE Itsekiri National Development Initiative, INDI, has frowned at what it called the selective implementation of the presidential amnesty programme, especially as it concerns the Itsekiri beneficiaries.

INDI, in a statement by its chairman, Dennis Mene, said that at inception, the Itsekiri were given just 500 slots while less than 100 have been sent for their studies, adding: “We have over 100 Itsekiri students with admissions to study in the United Kingdom for their Masters and Ph.D., as well as 300 skilled and vocational students, who up till date are yet to be sponsored, while it is on record that the Ijaws are regularly being sent for their studies/training overseas.”

He said that among the beneficiaries, “73 of them are yet to receive their monthly stipend from January to December 2013, although this has been brought to the attention of the amnesty office but they have remained mute about it.”

INDI urged the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to investigate, review and restructure the Presidential Amnesty Programme “with a view to ensuring fair play, equity and justice for all beneficiaries under the programme so that maximum dividend of the programme will rebound to the advantage of the Nigerian society.”